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April 23, 2025

🕵️ Scammers posing as the FBI: The lowest of the low. Scammers claim to be from the Internet Crime Complaint Center and offer to help you recover stolen money, then refer you to another “agent.” That’s when they ask for financial info and money. The real FBI won’t contact you like this or ask for payment.

🚨 Android alert: Watch out for a fake bank text asking you to call about a suspicious transaction. That’s when they’ll get you to share your card info and install a so-called Reader app. Next, you’re told to tap your bank card to your phone, and just like that, the app steals the card’s chip data with full access to your bank account.

Nintendo Switch 2 update: Preorders are set for April 24, and the price is holding at $449.99. Accessories are getting more expensive. The Joy-Con is $94.99, the Pro Controller is $84.99, and the Switch 2 Camera is $54.99. Launch day’s locked for June 5. By the time I finish buying accessories, Nintendo is legally allowed to claim me as a dependent.

💍 Be smitten, not bitten: Couples are losing thousands to photographers they find on social media. It all seems legit with a digital contract. Then, the shady shutterbugs ask for a cash deposit through Venmo or Zelle. But on the big day? They ghost you or show up and never deliver the photos. Folks, do your homework.

Hackers can steal your home: With just a forged signature, cybercriminals can take out loans in your name, drain your equity and leave you with the mess. Click here to get a free home title history report, when you sign up using code KIM. You’ll also receive a free 14-day trial of their Million Dollar Triple Lock Protection.*

⚠️ Flying a drone? Be careful. They’re getting way too close to planes, especially around major U.S. airports. Some have come within 50 to 300 feet of passenger jets mid-flight. Most people don’t even realize they’re flying in restricted zones. The FAA is now testing jammers and lasers to stop it. Yep, it’s that serious.

Cloudy days for ASUS: Update the firmware in your ASUS router. It has a severe vulnerability that lets attackers remotely execute functions. That is, do whatever the heck they want on your network.

🧠 New Gen Z term to know: “Locking in.” If someone you know uses that phrase, it means they are cutting out distractions to focus on a personal goal. Think quitting social media, skipping parties and going all-in on fitness or making money. My dad used to call it “a kick in the a$$.”

🛒 Check yourself: Say goodbye to all traditional and self-checkout lanes at Sam’s Club’s nearly 600 stores. Instead, you’ll use “Scan & Go” on their app. Then, AI-powered cameras and sensors will check your cart as you walk right out. Shoplifting? No. Shop-glitching? Maybe.

2027

That’s the year the world allegedly ends, according to a 12th-century prophecy. The internet is going nuts. After Pope Francis’ sudden death at 88, the so-called Prophecy of the Popes resurfaced with its final line: The next (and last) pope, “Peter the Roman,” will lead during a time of chaos, followed by Judgment Day. Out of the nine front-runners to become the next pope, three are named Peter. No pressure.

📢 Government drone testing is back: The FAA says don’t panic if you see them swarming New Jersey skies. They’re testing over 100 drones through April 25. It’s apparently to improve drone detection and to make sure they don’t mess with aircraft navigation. New Mexico, North Dakota and Mississippi, you’re up next. Don’t worry, it’s just 100 flying robots stress-testing your paranoia.

🗣️ YouTube wants to dub every video: AI tools will soon translate any video into any language (paywall link). It’ll use the creator’s own voice and sync their lips to match. The AI behind this is trained on current videos … and you agreed to it years ago. If you’re a creator, congrats, you’re multilingual now.

About 43.5°F

That’s the average refrigerator temperature in thousands of homes across Europe. The FDA says yours should be at 40°F or colder. Anything warmer, bacteria grows on your ready-to-eat food. So yeah, check your settings. If your cheese grabs you back, maybe turn that dial down.

🤖 No more humans working: The future is bright, if you’re a GPU or own six condos. Mechanize wants to replace all human work with AI. They say it’ll boost the economy since companies won’t have to pay salaries. Because robots are totally going to pay taxes for us.

💸 $20 scam spreading: Don’t fall for it. A stranger walks up and says you dropped $20. They try to stuff the cash back into your wallet, but they’re really swiping your debit card. One woman at a Ralphs grocery store fell for it. Thieves withdrew thousands in 30 minutes. Yikes.

514% jump

Taobao downloads spiked this month. The Chinese shopping app is now the No. 2 free iPhone app, behind DHgate at No. 1. Folks are buying directly from China after watching TikToks of luxury items being relabeled and marked up. Now for $12.99, you too can own a “Gucchi” belt with radiation.

🏠 Zillow’s new rule: If a home is advertised anywhere online, it now has to be listed on Zillow, too, or they’ll blacklist it. Why? Some brokerages have been posting homes on their own sites first to give their clients early access. Harsh. Long story short: If you’re selling, now you know, thanks to me.

😒 Comcast’s sneaky offer: New Xfinity customers can now lock their internet price for five years. Talking $55/month for 400 Mbps or $105 for 2.1 Gbps. The catch? It doesn’t include taxes or fees. Plus, internet deals will get cheaper with competition from Starlink and AT&T’s satellite service. Locking in your price for five years sounds great, until you realize the fees are multiplying in the dark like gremlins.