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Identity theft starts small and ruins big
Last month, a friend of mine, we’ll call him David, got an alert from his identity protection service.
It wasn’t a $2,000 charge for a new TV. It wasn’t $10,000 worth of phones in another country. It was a $48.50 bill opened in his full legal name for a utility company in a city he’d never even visited.
He texted me: “This is weird. It’s not a lot of money. Is this a big deal? My credit card company will reverse it.”
I wrote back immediately: “Yes. That’s the most important alert you could get.”
🚪The quiet knock before the break-in
We’ve all been trained to watch for stuff like flashy credit card fraud, huge purchases, big loans and hacked bank accounts. Banks and credit card companies are great at spotting and reversing those.
But a small utility bill? That’s an identity problem. That $48 charge wasn’t the major crime, it was the test.
A sophisticated thief had David’s Social Security number and used a “soft” inquiry, an ordinary bill, to see if the identity was live before moving on to the main event.
☠️ Death by a thousand cuts
If that $48 charge had gone through unchallenged for a week, the next steps were already queued up: apply for a $70,000 car loan, open three high-limit credit cards and lease a luxury apartment or get a home loan.
This is the new, fresh angle on identity theft. The real danger isn’t the one big, obvious fraud. It’s small, mundane transactions thieves use to test your identity’s foundation.
⛑️ You need to protect your identity
Lean cleaning machines
Before Black Friday Week kicks off tomorrow, stock up on these must-haves.
✨ Bling bath: Ultrasonic jewelry cleaner (26% off)
Loosen gunk you didn’t even know was there. Those 46,000Hz sound waves blast crud from every angle of your eyeglasses, jewelry, makeup brushes, you name it.
🐶 Fur everywhere? This pet hair roller (23% off) traps it all in a built-in bin. No peeling sticky sheets. 4.4 stars & 36K+ reviews.
Swipe ’n’ shine: From mirrors to car windows, this stainless steel squeegee (33% off) works on any smooth surface.
All under $10:
🧺 Dry boost: Faster drying + softer clothes = dryer balls (20% off, six-pack) that reduce static and fluff things up naturally.
Pretty tough: One spray of The Pink Stuff’s multipurpose cleaner (38% off) and you’ll wipe away gunk without that nose-curling chemical smell.
🛍️ Grab your deals early: It’s not just one day anymore. Amazon drops Black Friday discounts tomorrow! Click here to see what’s already live.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Watch out for these cunning scams
I don’t want you to be a statistic.
Google put out a quiet but urgent warning: Online scams are on the rise, and they’re getting harder to spot. Even savvy folks are getting blindsided.
Field test fix: Two very important asterisks got zapped by my newsletter email sender from the Field Test Mode tip in yesterday’s deep dive. If you’re on an iPhone and want to check your signal strength, here’s the correct number to dial: *3001#12345# , then hit call. So sorry for the hassle.
A Chat-astrophe: OpenAI’s testing a group chat feature for ChatGPT, meaning you, up to 20 people and the bot can have a convo. Currently in pilot mode in Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan and South Korea. Imagine the possibilities. Planning big trips, study groups, book clubs, family dramarama or embracing the joy of conversations monitored by a billion-dollar company training on your data.
AI apps that cross the line
Two new apps promise conversations with deceased relatives and Jesus himself. The reality is far more troubling than the tech hype suggests.
AI side hustles: what you need to know
Want to make money with AI (but can’t code)? A 20-year expert reveals the real jobs: training chatbots and moderating ads. Plus, the OpenAI vs. NYT showdown, a chart-topping AI country song, and the ClickFix scam.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Delete shows or movies from your Netflix watch history to improve recommendations. Go to Your Profile > Viewing activity and click Hide from viewing history next to the title.
Your TV is spying on you
Want to buy a cheap TV this Black Friday? Remember, you’re paying less for a reason.
When am I, Gemini? Google dropped Gemini 3. It’s smarter, faster and supposedly gets the type of “nuance” that will help it read the room. Google’s also calling it their best vibe coding model. It’s showing up in Google Search, Android and Google’s paid AI tools. You can have it build custom simulations, create onboarding docs or explain van Gogh with full visuals.
Festive fixes
Let’s beef up your place before the cold (and holiday chaos) rolls in.
🖼️ Pic perfect: Digital picture frame (34% off)
The gift that never stops showing off. Beam pics straight from your phone to the HD touch screen. Wood finish, clean design and a constant stream of “aww.”
👇 All under $20
Glow mode, activated: These outdoor multicolor rope lights (20% off) are waterproof and battery-powered. Say goodbye to bulky extension cords.
Chilly gusts? Slide a draft stopper (20% off) onto any door to block cold air from sneaking in. Enjoy a warmer home without touching your thermostat.
😱 Even below $10
Tried and true: Grab a pack of heavy-duty zip ties (40% off) that hold up to 120 lbs. Great for cables, outdoor decorations and all those “I’ll fix it later” projects.
Crackle ready: These natural wood fire starters (31% off) light up fast and don’t leave any funky smell. Use ’em for grills, campfires and indoor fireplaces.
🎄 Deck the halls: Click here for 20 ways to make your space feel smarter, cozier and way more festive.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
See if license plate readers are in your neighborhood
A woman in Colorado was falsely accused of theft because a Flock camera that looks like the one in the image above spotted her car near the scene. She wasn’t even close. She had to dig up dashcam footage, GPS, even her outfit to prove it. The charges were dropped, but the stress? Very real.
👀 Control Facebook tags: Don’t let embarrassing party pics sneak onto your timeline. Open the Facebook app and head to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Profile and tagging > Who can see posts you’re tagged in on your profile? From there, set it to friends or only you. Nice, crisis (and comments) averted.
Real Reel thieves: Facebook finally made a tool that pings you when someone yoinks your Reel and posts it as their own. You can block it, claim it or watch their views like a nosy neighbor. Meta bragged they’ve already booted 10 million fake creator profiles. Ten. Million. That’s the population of a small country.
Using a Windows laptop? There’s a way to track or lock it if it ever gets stolen. Go to Settings > Privacy & security > Find my device and toggle it on. If your laptop disappears, sign in to your Microsoft account from another device to see where it is. FYI, it needs an internet connection, or it will show the last known spot.
My Tesla told my son to send dirty pics
A mom let her kids try the new Grok AI chatbot in their car. She says what started as a convo about sports turned dirty, quick. Plus, Waymo heads on the freeway, Cyber Monday tricks, and you can now add your passport to your iPhone Apple Wallet.
The world’s first AI cyberattack
You use it to write emails, now it’s orchestrating crimes. Anthropic says its AI targeted 30 global organizations (including banks) in a cyberattack campaign. Scary stuff! Plus, a Russian bot fail, Louvre password drama, and deals you don’t want to miss.
Check your goods for this recall: If you’ve got a Belkin BoostCharge 20K (models BPB002 or PB0003) or the Auto-Tracking Stand Pro (model MMA008), stop using it now. They’re recalling them after reports of overheating, fires and injuries. You’ll get a refund or store credit. Don’t put it under your pillow while you decide.
⛪️ TikTok meets the pulpit: Picture this, a Kentucky pastor answers the phone. Caller says he’s got a baby and nowhere to sleep. The pastor does what most leaders of small churches would do, says they don’t have housing, offers a prayer. And suddenly he’s viral (paywall link), like he accidentally auditioned for Christian Idol. Turns out the caller was a TikToker pretending to be homeless, who calls churches, then hands out gold stars or public roastings. “Testing Christian values” sounds noble until you add a ring light and monetization.