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Breaking news and tips
Elder fraud is exploding: Your data is making it worse
I’ve got bad news: Today’s online scammers know everything about you. They’re scraping your info and everyone else’s from the web and buying the rest from data brokers and people-search sites.
📈 The stats are scary
Folks age 60-plus are the biggest target. Almost 72% of scams start with personal data grabbed online. Data brokers vacuum up your info like phone numbers, emails, past addresses, income, favorite takeout spots and then auction it off like eBay for creepers.
With this data, they use personalized weapons.
🎯 Criminals know who to target
Study this list. Here’s what these attacks look like:
- AI phone calls that sound like your grandkids.
- Medicare fraud quoting your last doctor visit.
- Calls from “your bank” that know your address.
- Investment traps tailored to your retirement income.
- Romance scams where your “lover” has the same interests.
Live in a state with higher retirement incomes?
You’re in the bull’s-eye. Texas seniors lost an average of $51,700 per complaint. My state, Arizona, had the highest elder fraud rate per capita (3.5 cases for every 1,000 seniors). Yikes.
🛡️ How to fight back
1. Freeze your credit:
Even if you’re not worried about identity theft, a credit freeze keeps crooks from opening accounts in your name.
2. Use call filtering apps:
Try tools like Hiya, Nomorobo or your carrier’s spam call protection. And never answer unknown numbers, voicemail is your friend.
Sip happens
😋 Only food and drink upgrades that slap.
- An automatic dispenser ($20) does the pouring for you.
- These metal straws (22% off) come with a carrying case.
- Get a coaster set (10% off) for no more rings on your table.
- Dull blades? This sharpener (30% off) makes them like new.
- A sandwich cutter (30% off) slices crusts and seals edges.
- Keep your snacks fresh with a container set (20% off).
🎁 Got your Father’s Day gift? Shop my ultimate gift list now, so it shows up by this Sunday.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Love, hearing loss and Bluetooth settings
Barry and I were on vacation in the Bahamas, soaking up the sun and enjoying island life until he caught a nasty virus. The next morning, he woke up and said, “I can’t hear out of my right ear.”
Just like that, his hearing was gone.
🖱️ Drag URLs on Mac: In Safari, you don’t need to copy and paste. If you want to share a link, just left-click and drag the address bar straight into your email. It works for links on a page, too. Want to share a restaurant menu? Just drag the link into the message without opening it.
🧗♂️ Cliffhanger stupidity: Two Seattle tourists got stuck on a San Francisco cliff trying to retrieve a dropped phone. Fire teams spent over an hour rescuing them with ropes and helmets. Nobody died, but they did get handed a $300 “what were you thinking?” fine. PSA: Going off-trail is a Darwin test.
Can your phone bring down a plane?
You’re still told to switch on airplane mode before takeoff. What really happens if you don’t? Here’s the truth.
1 second
That’s all it takes for your body to freeze under stress and start making smarter decisions. In a wild twist on the panic playbook, Dutch professor Karin Roelofs says freezing under stress is your nervous system’s version of going into “emergency focus mode.” Not stuck, strategizing. Less deer in headlights, more sniper on a mission.
Lost retirement money? Here’s how to find it
Nearly $2 trillion is sitting in forgotten 401(k) accounts. Yours might be one of them. Here’s how to check.
Android 16 is officially rolling out: Only for Pixel phones. But the biggest glow-up, the visual facelift of the Material 3 Expressive design, is delayed until later this year. So yes, security’s tighter. Battery’s better. But your lock screen still looks like 2021.
My heart is racing
🔎 Think size matters? These tiny tools work hard.
- This wrist brace (29% off) is like a hug for your hand.
- Make your feet baby soft with a callus remover ($20).
- Grab a variety pack of bandages ($10) to cover up cuts.
- Headache? Pop on this relief cap (26% off) and chill out.
- Get an armband monitor ($45) for a cheaper fitness tracker.
🏃♀️ Go the distance: Get your steps in without leaving home on this smart treadmill (9% off) that folds up for easy storage.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
WWDC 2025: iOS 26, Live Translation, and Apple’s next AI moves
Is Apple running out of new ideas? We break down everything from WWDC 2025, what’s legit, and what’s noise. Plus: A cyberattack takes down a major food supplier, AI goes head-to-head with cancer, and ChatGPT loses at chess to a console from 1977.
Titan submersible update
It’s been almost two years since the tragedy that killed all five onboard. Now, investigators are revealing some chilling finds from the ocean floor. In a new documentary, they say they found part of the OceanGate founder’s sleeve, with a pen, business cards and Titanic stickers still inside. So sad.
🚖 Tesla Robotaxis are coming: If you’re in Austin, you might see them on June 22. Musk says the launch is “tentative,” and it’ll start small with just 10 to 20 Model Ys. They’re being extra careful, too, with employees watching remotely and geofencing to keep cars within certain areas. Fingers crossed.
🏠 Your home could be stolen through a scam! Fraudsters can forge your name on the title and take out loans using your equity. Protect your home with Home Title Lock and get a 14-day free trial with code KIM.
Collecting data on all Americans — June 7th, Hour 1
Palantir is a data analytics giant. Is it building a massive government database with your info? Here’s fact vs. fiction. Plus: a North Korean smartphone, a viral math trap, and 93 billion browser cookies for sale. And I help Steve from Phoenix edit his podcast with NotebookLM.
Tech me with you
🤖 These make working, creating and staying connected easier.
- Carry a laptop backpack (32% off) with a built-in USB port.
- Plug in a Bluetooth transmitter (21% off) for your old gear.
- A stylus (5% off) that feels like a real pen? You betcha.
- Spot issues fast with a refrigerant leak detector ($27).
- This cordless hot glue gun (33% off) has an anti-drip nozzle.
😎 Your eyes = upgraded: Save big on AI-powered Ray-Ban Meta glasses (20% off). Classic look, high-tech features.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Cash in on your old cell phone: This tip will show you how to get the most money out of your old phone by selling it to reputable companies. Subscribe to Clark.com’s free newsletter to receive smart money tips every day.
Think before you “unsubscribe”: That little link at the bottom of emails might clean up your inbox or land you on a fake site. Scammers use it to steal passwords or install malware (paywall link). Play it safe: Hit the unsubscribe button at the top, like in Gmail, or mark it as spam and delete.