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How I stopped scammers cold
“Kim, Lifelock has gotten so expensive. Do I even need it?” — Matt in Texas
I’ve been hearing this a lot, Matt. I agree, LifeLock is pricey. My bill was $239.88 a year. Now, I’m paying $62.64 a year, that’s a 74% savings! More about that later.
Yes, you really need a service to protect your identity, more so than ever before. Number one, there have been so many data breaches, just assume the scammers and thieves have all your personal data.
Add to that today’s AI tools make it super easy for someone to create fake documents, clone your voice and put you talking in a video.
No red flags
Throw away your assumptions that you’d somehow “know” if someone stole your identity. No sirens go off. You don’t get a text from a hacker whispering, “Gotcha.”
In reality, identity theft often happens in total silence every five seconds.
Like the retiree in Florida who lost $14,000 when a thief opened a credit card in his name and drained his credit line before the bill even showed up.
Then there’s Susan, who got a collection call for a $36,000 car loan she never took out. A thief used her name and driver’s license to snag a new SUV.
Another woman had $18,000 in loans taken out using her name. She never got an alert. Not from her bank, not from her credit monitoring service.
The dark side
You find out only when you try to do something boring, like apply for a loan, get a job or file taxes. By then, you’re already in financial Hunger Games with your name attached to debt, crimes or worse.
Upgrades for everyday relief
😴 Feel like a human pretzel by 2 p.m.? Let’s fix that.
- 🪞 Mirror, mirror on the wall: This smart travel scale (19% off) doubles as a makeup mirror. It slides right into your bag.
- 🍑 Cheeky support: Your back and booty will thank you after grabbing this seat cushion (14% off).
- ⌨️ Wrist assured: An ergonomic keyboard and mouse rest (28% off) cradles every click and scroll.
- 💆 So satisfying: Two scalp massagers (10% off) + zero batteries = 4.6 stars and 33,000+ reviews.
- 👣 Heel, yeah: These stick-on callus pads (6% off) act like little bodyguards for your toes.
- 🕯️ Smell that? Ah, it’s a 45-hour candle (11% off) that comes in 18 cozy scents. Eucalyptus Orange is a fan fave.
🛍️ Bag it all: From feel-good finds to everyday essentials, my Amazon storefront has you covered.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Panic fast, fix faster
You’ve got 13 seconds to undo, unplug, swipe or save your digital dignity. That’s your window to salvage your glitchy app, that accidental “Reply All” email or your phone freezing mid-sentence.
Don’t scream, at least not yet.
💵 Bon voyage to car rental fees: Clark Howard has a secret weapon to fight one pesky fee: a portable toll reader. Register online, and it works in 19 states. Subscribe to Clark.com’s free newsletter to receive more must-have money tips every day.
📍 There’s an app for that: ICEBlock, a map app for spotting ICE agents, hit #1 on the App Store after CNN reported about it and then U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on X called CNN’s report an “obstruction of justice.” The app lets people pin sightings and get alerts nearby. No word from Apple if they’re gonna pull it.
Life’s too short for customer service
Can’t seem to get someone on the phone for help? For most companies, that is intentional. Here’s why.
$737 million
That’s how much Amazon stock Jeff Bezos just cashed out. Fresh off a $50 million Venetian wedding, Bezos is back on the trading floor (well, metaphorically). It’s part of a plan to offload up to 25 million shares by 2026, because what’s a power couple without a little portfolio pruning?
📺 Fix your YouTube feed: Seeing stuff you don’t care about on your home page? Tap the three-dot menu next to the video and hit Not interested. Do it regularly, and YouTube will get better at showing you what you actually like.
Pajamas to polished in 30 seconds
Want to look fully awake for that impromptu early morning Zoom meeting? Try these quick settings.
🌞 Cool roofs, cooler robots: Researchers trained AI to design a paint that lowers building temps up to 68°F, seriously. It reflects heat, saves power and could murder AC bills. Tested on apartments in hot cities, the paint slashes electric use enough to run thousands of extra units. The kicker? It actually looks good.
Fire up the fun
🎆 Take your backyard bash from “meh” to “heck, yeah.”
- 🔥 Hotter than the 4th of July: This smart air fryer (30% off) packs dual heaters. Bonus: It’s PFAS-free.
- 🌡️ Is it done yet? Poke it with a digital food thermometer (20% off). No more guessing if your chicken is still clucking.
- 🧊 Cooler + seat = genius: It’s a chair, cooler and backpack (24% off) that holds 40 cans and keeps ’em frosty.
- 🍋 When life gives you lemons: You squeeze every drop with a stainless steel citrus juicer (21% off). Built to last.
- 🍾 Cheers to this: Flat fizz? Not with this champagne stopper (13% off) made in Italy.
- 😋 Save your leftovers: Pack up Grandma’s cherry pie in these glass containers (38% off). 4.5 stars and 17,000+ reviews.
✅ Hungry for more? There are plenty of kitchen must-haves in my Amazon store.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Google’s eating itself alive
Google’s new AI-powered search is tanking its own traffic. Plus, your ChatGPT chats live forever, a job offer scam, and a car rental side hustle making real money. Then I talk to Holly from Kentucky, whose kiddo ordered 70,000 suckers on Amazon.
Charlie Chaplin’s in theaters after 100 years
Charlie Chaplin famously rereleased his 1925 silent classic The Gold Rush in 1942 with new narration and edits, believing it would connect better with modern audiences. Now, thanks to film archivists and AI, the silent masterpiece has been painstakingly restored. The 4K version just premiered at Cannes and hit 250 theaters worldwide.
Spider’s in the server: Qantas just revealed a data breach that hit 6 million customer records. No financial info leaked (phew), but names, birthdays and frequent flier numbers got scooped. The culprit might be Scattered Spider, the cybercrime crew currently doing a full tour of the aviation sector. Expect more airlines joining the hit list.
Have dyslexia? Try the dyslexic font on Kindle. Open a book, tap near the top of the screen and hit the Aa icon. Go to Font > Font family and select OpenDyslexic. Bonus: You can also adjust the boldness and size of the font from here.
Viral missing cop post is a scam – June 28th, Hour 1
A viral Facebook post says a 27-year-old cop vanished. Here’s the deal: Sgt. Katie Cunningham is alive and well. She joins us to set the record straight. Plus, the truth behind the latest TikTok ban rumors and how tariffs could boost your YouTube views.
Big-brained buys
🧠 You don’t need to be a genius to use today’s picks.
- ⚡ End the outlet wars: This power strip tower (22% off) has 16 plugs. Plus, four USB ports and a 10-foot-long cord.
- 🔌 Split ends: No, not your high school haircut. One USB-C cable (8% off, two-pack) charges four things at once.
- 🙈 Hide those wires: A cord management box (10% off, two-pack) is the adult way to tidy up your tech mess.
- ⌨️ Typing ninja? Switch between your phone, tablet or laptop with this Bluetooth keyboard (5% off).
- 🛜 Bye, dead zones: A Wi-Fi extender ($9.99) covers up to 45 devices. No more buffering in the bathroom (lol).
- 📺 Movie-theater level magic: If you can swing it, this 4K smart TV ($699.99) has flicker-free tech.
🛍️ Treat your digital self: My Amazon shop is packed with more smart buys I know you’ll love.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
🖼️ Resize images on Mac: Open it in Preview, go to Tools > Adjust Size, then enter your new dimensions under Width and Height. So something like 1920 × 1080 can be scaled down to 1280 × 720. FYI: This replaces the original, so make a copy first.
👨🏫 Artificial degree syndrome: Forget cramming Java syntax, universities are now teaching students how to think like machines (paywall link). AI is shaking computer science ed, and schools like Carnegie Mellon are pivoting hard. The new curriculum? Vibe coding.