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Digital cash, physical threat
Picture this: You’re worth millions in crypto. You think your money’s safe because it’s digital, anonymous and locked up behind a strong password. But there’s one security hole you didn’t count on, your physical body.
That’s exactly what happened in a terrifying case out of New York City.
Two men allegedly kidnapped a crypto investor and held him captive for weeks in a luxury town house. Why? To beat the password out of him. It’s called a “$5 wrench attack” by insiders.
Kidnapped for crypto
According to The Wall Street Journal, Michael Carturan, with $30 million in crypto, walked into a Soho town house expecting a pitch meeting … and left 25 days later barefoot and traumatized.
The goal? Force him to unlock his Bitcoin wallet. Kidnapped. Held hostage. Tortured, yes, even threatened with a chain saw, until he gave up his wallet info.
This isn’t a plot from a Netflix thriller, it’s real life. And it’s a terrifying new way criminals are going after digital riches.
Carturan finally escaped barefoot into the street, flagged down an NYPD officer and lived to tell the tale.
Two suspects were caught, including (because this story wouldn’t be complete otherwise) a former crypto CEO.
This isn’t just one wild story
It’s happening more than you might think.
A Connecticut couple cruising around in their Lamborghini get kidnapped. Six guys grab them not because they’re flashy but because they thought the couple’s son was sitting on a fortune in crypto. Federal prosecutors say the plan was to hold them for ransom.
Call of the wild
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184 million accounts just leaked, yours could be next
Hackers just hit a massive jackpot: 184 million accounts across Apple, Google and Microsoft were exposed in a sweeping data breach. I’m talking email addresses, usernames, passwords, device info (the whole buffet), now up for grabs on the dark web.
Uber senior accounts: Larger text, fewer buttons and clearer instructions. Perks include saved destinations and pay with a Medicare flex card. FYI: It’s part of Uber’s family profile, but anyone can try this by turning on Simple Mode in the app’s Account section.
🫀 Teen heart hacker: A 14-year-old in Texas built an AI-powered heart screening app that can detect cardiac issues in seven seconds with just a smartphone mic. Yes, seriously. It’s 96% accurate and already in clinical trials. App detects heart failure? I wonder if it can hear mine breaking during tax season.
How to catch a cheater with their phone
Think something’s off? Your spouse’s phone has all the answers. Here’s where to look for proof.
1 day
That’s how fast your online order could arrive, courtesy of USPS’s quiet glow-up. They’ve ditched the snail jokes and entered the express lane with Priority Mail Next Day to compete with FedEx, UPS and Amazon. It’s currently live in 62 markets and delivers packages under 20 pounds within one day, as long as they’re dropped off by 6 p.m.
📅 Search by date range in Gmail: Need to find emails from a specific time frame? In the search bar, type: after:2025/01/01 before:2025/03/01. This shows emails from Jan. 2 to Feb. 28, 2025. You can narrow it more like from:kim@example.com or has:attachment. Neat.
Are you living with a cyberweapon?
The FBI warns that outdated routers make easy targets for foreign hackers. Here are the warning signs.
Self-healing concrete: Scientists made concrete that can literally fix itself, and it’s technically alive. They’re using synthetic lichen that feeds on sunlight and air. It then produces calcium carbonate, the same ultra-strong material found in Roman concrete. When cracks appear, they fill in naturally.
Sore today, zen tomorrow
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Your new go-to therapist? ChatGPT
Therapy costs a pretty penny, so people are turning to AI to deal with their emotions. Plus, Google Photos can now erase your ex, fake toll road scams are everywhere, and the latest (questionable) prediction for the end of the world. Oh, and Starlink Wi-Fi is coming to your next flight.
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.
Walt Disney lives again? Kinda. He’s being turned into a lifelike robot for Disney parks, so guests can see what it might’ve been like to meet him. It’ll look like him at age 62 and use real lines from his speeches. The twist? His granddaughter says he would never want this.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Open a private browser window fast: Ctrl + Shift + N (Windows) or Command + Shift + N (Mac).
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.
Desk all set
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We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Ditch the copy-paste: The free Chrome extension Add to Sheets lets you send info from any website straight into a Google Sheet. Planning a trip? Just right-click on location details, booking links or prices to drop them right into a column. Pretty slick.
🧬 Silicon Valley’s baby fever: Welcome to the Build-a-Baby boom. Startups like Orchid and Nucleus want to sell you on polygenic testing: basically “future-proofing” your baby’s DNA for everything from BMI to bipolar disorder. The cost? $50,000.