🍕 When the Pentagon eats pizza: An X account tracked pizza shop orders near the Pentagon, and predicted Israel’s strike on Iran hours before it happened. Pizza spiked, then dropped. The bar went quiet. Suddenly missiles. It’s not the first time folks have linked local takeout to military action.
5 clever scams spreading now
ChatGPT
Lately, I’ve had way too many calls on my shows from people who have lost thousands (sometimes hundreds of thousands) to scams. These are so cleverly evil, it’s like Ocean’s Eleven but starring a dude with three Instagram followers and a ChatGPT subscription.
You see, we’re way past scam emails from sketchy Nigerian princes. Today’s scams are slick, personalized and powered by scary-good tech like AI voice cloning and deepfakes. And yep, people fall for them every single day.
Here are today’s scummy front-runners, plus how to protect your cash, pride and sanity:
1. The AI voice clone
This one’s horrifying because it sounds like someone you trust. Scammers grab a clip of your child’s, spouse’s, boss’ voice from social media, podcasts or even your voicemail.
Then they call your mom, your grandpa, your partner: “Hi, it’s me. I’m in big trouble. I need money. Don’t tell anyone.” It’s not them. It’s AI. And it works because it feels real.
Anthony in Los Angeles was deceived by scammers who used AI to replicate his son’s voice. Believing his son was in distress, Anthony transferred $25,000 to the fraudsters.
If you get a call like this, call or text the person. Try someone they live or work with.
2. ‘Your bank account’s frozen’
You get a text or call from your “bank,” and the number looks legit. They say your account is locked due to suspicious activity and you need to confirm your info.
Stop right there. That link? Fake. The person on the phone? Also fake.
Charles in Iowa lost over $300,000. Always open your bank’s app or type the web address in yourself. Never tap the link they send.
Digital passport for the AI age
Sam Altman who created ChatGPT now wants to scan your eyeballs with a glowing bowling ball to prove you’re human online, and he made a jingle about it. Seriously. I told you all about it back on May 6. Orb just dropped its first U.S. ad campaign. It’s basically the “If You’re Happy and You Know It” of human verification. It feels like a TSA PreCheck for whatever weird world we’re heading into. It already has 13 million verified humans across 20+ countries, with goals to hit 50 million by the end of 2025. Not me.
4,000+
That’s how many natural water brands are out there, and yes, sommeliers are involved. From Tasmanian mist nets to Peruvian snowmelt, hydration’s gone haute couture. Some bottles hit $30+; others wear Swarovski crowns. Welcome to the rise of red carpet hydration. Your Brita? A meager peasant.
Turn off Fire Stick clicks: You know that annoying little sound every time you move through the menu? Leave it on long enough and you’ll start hearing it in your dreams. Go to Settings > Display & Sounds > Audio > Navigation Sounds and switch it Off. Congrats, your sanity just thanked you.
🔥 Wildfires go predictive: AI can now predict massive wildfires 10 days in advance. It uses CO₂ data, land maps, weather info and code that somehow knows forest vibes. Get this, it even clocked those Canadian fires before they hit. Honestly, better track record than most weathermen. AI just declared that tree has arson energy.
Chatbots are warping reality: Folks are forming deep bonds with AI, and it’s messing with their mental health. Like an accountant who was told we live in a simulation and advised to stop taking his meds. Then another woman who thought she was talking to spirits (paywall link). Reminder: Bots are built to entertain.
100%
That’s how accurate ChatGPT-4 is at making lifesaving cardiology decisions. A hospital in Israel tested whether patients needed a stent or open-heart surgery, and in all 40 cases, the AI made the same calls as senior experts. Cherry on top? It gave answers in 10 minutes instead of the usual 30. Paging Dr. GPT.
📦 Walmart’s expanding drone delivery: It’s coming to five more cities, including Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando and Tampa. If you’re in one of them, you can sign up on Wing’s site to get notified when it goes live near you. FYI: That brings the service to 100 stores. At this rate, we’ll be living like the Jetsons in no time.
Samsung’s fridge knows your voice: The new smart models recognize who’s talking to personalize the screen. So when you speak, it shows your calendar, photos, applies your favorite color settings and rats you out when you’re sneaking pie in the middle of the night. I made that last part up, but it’s a definite possibility.
Almost every 24 hours
How often Chipotle plans to open a new restaurant this year. To pull it off, they’ll need lots of new hires, and that’s where AI comes in. Their “Ava Cado” tool chats with candidates, collects info and sends out offers. Apparently, it’s so good it’s cut hiring time by around 75%. Wish they could do that for prices.
📺 TV arms race: Get ready for more ads! Amazon Ads and Roku just inked an ad deal that lets brands target 80% of U.S. connected-TV homes. Starting late this year, Amazon will place ads across Prime Video, the Roku Channel and more, with smarter targeting and fewer repeats. In trials, it reached 40% more viewers with the same budget.
Trump Org sells phones: This is not politics, so don’t even think of writing me a note about it. This is tech news. It’s a presidential first you need to be in the know about. Coming soon is a $499 gold Android phone and a $47.45/month plan called “The 47 Plan.” It includes unlimited data, roadside help and presidential branding galore. It’s all licensing, with no actual tech building involved. Customer support is reportedly Eric Trump with a headset. Just kidding.
📞 Hacker hang-up: Hackers leaked 64 million T-Mobile customer records. The data has real names, phone numbers, cookie IDs (the whole privacy piñata), but T-Mobile says it’s “not our circus, not our monkeys.” Maybe this leak needs to go on Maury: “You are NOT the data parent!”
54%
The percentage of recent grads who say salary talks are scarier than breakups. More than half of recent graduates would rather say, “It’s not you, it’s me” than ask for more money. Nothing beats the panic of discussing 401(k)s with a hiring manager who calls you “buddy.”
👂 Listen up. Watching my husband Barry struggle to hear was tough, so I did my research and found these high-tech hearing aids. See if you qualify for a 45-day, risk-free trial and a lifetime of support. Don’t wait, check today!
Got an old Cloud Cam? Unplug it ASAP. Amazon shut down app support in 2022. If it’s still connected to the internet, hackers could break in and spy on you at home. The worst part? There’s no word yet how long this has been a risk. Appreciate the notice, Amazon … really.
2x
That’s how much more fat is burned when you lift weights first during a workout. New research suggests that your body taps fat faster because it flips to fat-burning mode mid-session after draining your glycogen stores. Basically, it’s metabolic alchemy; bench-press first, then bike your way to abs.
Privacy disaster: Meta’s AI assistant scoops up personal data from Facebook and Instagram to train its models. Even public posts, comments and interactions could be fair game unless you opt out. The catch? Most people don’t even know it’s happening. If you use the app, you really need to read this now.
$1.8 million
Shaq’s price tag for promoting a crypto collapse. Unlike Brady and Curry, Big Diesel stayed on the hook thanks to a wild goose chase to serve him legal papers. He pitched FTX as legit, then claimed he didn’t get crypto at all. Now he’s settling, no guilt admitted, but the check clears just the same.