Breaking news and tips

Elder fraud is exploding: Your data is making it worse

ChatGPT

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.

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Less mess, more yes

👑 Your bathroom should be fit for a queen (or king).

🛒 Peek at my cart: I’ve got a whole list of essentials I reorder all the time. Nothing flashy, just solid.

Make a movie in a minute

OpenAI Sora

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, AI is changing everything. And now it’s coming for video. This is the future, and it’s so fun to play around with these new tools.

Forget editing software, green screens or even a camera. Now your keyboard is the director, the producer and creative partner. All you need to do is type what you want to see, and AI will turn it into a slick, high-def video. 

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Get free stuff: Freecycle is a fantastic online community where folks give away things they no longer need or find items they want.

🧳 Global Entry is getting faster: New camera tech will soon let travelers breeze through passport control without stopping. Your face gets scanned on the move, so no kiosks or lines. It’s being tested at seven airports, including Miami, LAX, Chicago O’Hare and Toronto. Suddenly, that $120 five-year membership doesn’t sound so bad.

Apple’s all out of ideas

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Last year, Apple promised groundbreaking AI, but Siri’s failures have left the company scrambling.

By the numbers

59 minutes

How long DJI’s new Matrice 400 can stay airborne, with gear. It hauls 13 pounds, lands on moving ships, dodges obstacles and spots power lines in thermal mode. With 10 antennas and a backup relay system, it beams footage over 25 miles, through cities, forests or whatever else is in the way, even the guy screaming, “No drones!” into the sky. 

🔴 Go live, privately: Instagram lets you livestream just to your close friends instead of all your followers. Tap the + button, choose Live, then select Share with Close Friends and start broadcasting. You can add up to three pals. Want to tweak your list? Head to More (three lines) > Settings > Who can see your content > Close Friends.

Make a Father’s Day card with AI

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Ditch the cheesy store cards. Use ChatGPT to turn your favorite photo into a custom keepsake.

💉 Catching cancer sooner: I hate cancer. A new blood test can detect if cancer is coming back months before it shows up on a scan (paywall link). It finds tiny traces of tumor DNA in your blood, which could mean faster treatment.

Sip happens

😋 Only food and drink upgrades that slap.

🎁 Got your Father’s Day gift? Shop my ultimate gift list now, so it shows up by this Sunday.

WWDC 2025: iOS 26, Live Translation, and Apple’s next AI moves

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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.

Storm streamers are taking over

Folks like Ryan Hall are going live on YouTube to warn people about extreme weather, sometimes faster than the National Weather Service. They’re using radar tools, storm chaser feeds and AI bots that chat with viewers and give 24/7 updates. His setup is wild!

🛡️ 1 billion malware threats: 1 simple fix. Antivirus software protects your devices from viruses, ransomware and more before they can do any harm. Cover five devices for just $19 for the first year. That’s less than a trip to the movies.

Cancel what you’re not using: I use Rocket Money, an app that finds all your recurring subscriptions and lets you easily cancel anything you don’t want. The first time I logged in, it saved me $435!

Kim Komando Show

Collecting data on all Americans — June 7th, Hour 1

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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.

My heart is racing

🔎 Think size matters? These tiny tools work hard.

🏃‍♀️ Go the distance: Get your steps in without leaving home on this smart treadmill (9% off) that folds up for easy storage.

Record your screen: OBS Studio is a free app that works on Windows and Mac. It’s easy to use: Just go to Add Source > Display Capture, choose Automatic as your Capture Method and hit OK. Now click Start Recording, and Stop Recording when you’re done. Pro tip: Use this guide for the best video settings.

Time Capsule time has come: Starting with macOS 27, Apple’s yanking support for Time Capsule and AirPort backups. If you’re still living that 2012 Wi-Fi drive life, it’s almost time to move on. No new hardware is confirmed yet, but the rumor mill’s eyeing Apple’s new Wi-Fi chip for a possible router comeback. PSA: It’s about a year away.