🌀 Yeezy rug pull: Kanye launched the YZY crypto coin on X, watched it rocket to $3B, then collapse in three hours flat. Retail investors? Lost $20M. Eight “lucky” traders? Cashed out millions instantly. Ye once called coins a scam, and well, he’s not wrong. Delaware shell company? Check. Cult vibes? Check. History repeating? Absolutely.
New scam trick: Fake sites that look too good
Midjourney
Here’s the newest con in town: Scammers are using AI to clone legit websites, and they’re scary good at it. I’m talking about perfect logos, identical layouts, right down to the fonts and buttons.
The crazy part is that they spin these sites up in minutes. Then, they shove them to the top of Google, where you search for your bank, power company or even a government site. One wrong click, and boom, you’ve handed over your login, your info, your identity.
🚨 Spot the fakes
Want to outsmart these scammers? Slow down and study this list I put together for you. Note: Just so the bad links are not clickable, I used the word dot in the URL.
- Check for funky URLs: If your bank’s site is usually mybank(dot)com, don’t fall for mybɑnk(dot)com (that’s a Latin “a,” not an English one).
- Look for sneaky swaps: Lowercase L’s and capital I’s (l vs I) can look the same, but googIe(dot)com is not google(dot)com.
- Watch for extra words or dashes: If the site is verizon(dot)com, skip anything like verizon-help-login(dot)com or secure-verizon123(dot)net.
- Spot the weird endings: Real companies usually use .com or .org. Be suspicious of .click, .online, .xyz or .info tacked onto legit-looking names, like netflix-account-support(dot)xyz.
- Beware of doubled-up letters: Scammers repeat letters to fool your brain – amaazon(dot)com, netflfix(dot)com, paypaal(dot)com. If it looks off, it is.
- Ignore random security warnings in the URL: Some scam sites toss in words like “secure” or “SSL” to look official; for example, secure-update-google(dot)com. Nope.
- Check for missing letters: Typos cost you. Make sure you’re not clicking on instgram(dot)com or facbook-login(dot)com.
- Don’t trust subdomains: Scam links might start with something familiar such as amazon.fakeupdate(dot)com or wells-fargo.loginverify(dot)net. The real domain is at the end, check it.
🔖 Don’t trust Google search
Instead, build a bookmark list for your important accounts: your bank, credit card, cell provider, insurance, utilities, all of it. Open the real site once, click that little star in your browser, and save it. From then on, use your bookmarks, not search results.
Or use the official apps from the App Store or Google Play. You’ll never wonder if you’re logging into a trap.
🔥 These scams are spreading like wildfire. Use the icons below to share this important information with your family and friends, especially the ones who think the cloud is a weather report.
20%
How much worse doctors get at spotting abnormalities on their own after using AI during colonoscopies. They’ve become over-reliant on the system’s little green box that flags suspicious areas, and when it’s gone, they start missing things. Think of it like GPS: Once you’ve had it, paper maps suddenly feel impossible.
📚 Make Kindle page turns clearer: Ever flip a page and wonder if you went forward or back? Turn on the swipe effect, so it’s obvious. Tap on a page, select the Aa (font) icon, go to the More tab, scroll down to Page Turn Animation and toggle it on.
YouTube turns up the hype: Its new “Hype” feature lets you boost up to three small-creator videos a week. Those picks land on a special leaderboard, giving underdog channels a real shot at the spotlight. Look for the shiny “hyped” badge in your feed, and hit it for me now and then.
🥊 Musk vs. Apple + AI: Let me break this down. Musk just sued Apple and OpenAI, accusing them of teaming up to bury his xAI startup. He says Apple’s ChatGPT deal hands OpenAI billions of iPhone prompts for free training, while rivals like Grok get shoved down the App Store. Now he’s demanding billions in damages and a ban.
I cut the cord, and you should, too: If you’ve linked ChatGPT to Gmail, Google Drive or anything personal, listen up. Researchers found that one poisoned document can trick the AI into spilling sensitive info. No clicks, no alerts. We’re talking leaked emails, stolen files, even access to your accounts. I cut all GPT connections in my settings. You should, too.
🚨 Farmers Insurance data breach: Hackers stole data on 1.1 million Farmers Insurance customers. They grabbed names, addresses, birth dates, driver’s license numbers and the last four digits of Social Security numbers, everything they need to steal your identity. Farmers is notifying people, but until then, keep an eye out for phishing scams. They’re coming.
$200+
What some fans drop every month just to binge 60-second soap operas. Forget Netflix and chill, it’s now “vertical drama and debt” for $20 a week. That’s more than an HBO Max + Netflix + Hulu bundle, with enough left over for popcorn.
“What did you say?” Barry doesn’t say that anymore since he got hearing aids. Horizon IX hearing aids deliver clear sound, smart comfort and seamless connectivity. Try them risk-free for 45 days, and enjoy lifetime support.
🧬 Cancer vaccine: How about some great news? University of Florida scientists made an mRNA vaccine that cranks up the immune system like a rave DJ, and boom, tumors in mice shrank or disappeared. Pair it with immunotherapy drugs, and it’s even stronger. This is a step toward a universal cancer vaccine. Human trials are next. I hate cancer.
29 minutes, 3 seconds
That’s how long Vitomir Maričić held his breath, obliterating the world record. Fueled by 10 minutes of pure oxygen, the freediver stayed under nearly five minutes longer than the previous champ. That’s double a dolphin, close to a seal and just enough to find out who lives in a pineapple under the sea. (SpongeBob SquarePants)
🤳🏼 Oops, she did it again: Britney Spears posted a nude photo on Instagram, just boots and a strategically placed rose emoji, and yep, social media exploded. The next day, she followed it with a raw post about her kids, past trauma and trying to heal. Some are whispering a comeback, others say it screams therapy. I think it’s just so sad.
You gave a game. They gave a nightmare: Nearly 400 families are suing Roblox, claiming the company ignored predators stalking kids. One mom says her 11-year-old was groomed on Roblox, lured on Discord, then raped by a 20-year-old pretending to be 15. He’s in prison now. If you’ve got kiddos, this is your nudge to check in. Ask your kids who they’re talking to online, not just what games they’re playing.
🎂 10 out of 10: YouTube opened the site a decade ago. To celebrate, YouTube Music just rolled out “taste match,” a Spotify Blend clone that fuses your questionable taste with your friends’ also questionable tastes. Fun fact: The YT app hit 125M paying subs with a 300M-track library.
AI browser + Reddit = Theft: There’s a terrifying flaw in Perplexity’s AI Comet Browser. Hidden text in Reddit posts can trick the AI into following malicious commands that give hackers access to your email, banking and cloud accounts. Basically, you could lose your entire savings just by scrolling memes. Wow. Make sure you get the Comet update or else you’ll be telling a tail as old as time.
2.5 million
That’s how many people are stuck on the wait list for Raya. The dating app’s a hit with celebs and athletes, but you have to apply, and some people wait years to get in. And if you do? No screenshots, no bragging about who you’ve seen (paywall link). You might find a cougar or maybe a cheetah.
🚨 Google alert: Hackers sent out 115,000 phishing invites to 13,500 orgs that use the Google Classroom platform. They pitched SEO services, then pushed people to WhatsApp to rope them into scams. Reminder: Always verify the sender, especially when they try to redirect you off-platform. That’s a red flag every single time.
Add subtitles to YouTube videos: They’ll help you reach a bigger audience. On desktop, go to YouTube Studio and select Subtitles on the left. Choose your video, Set the language and Confirm. Then click Add under Subtitles. Upload a file or type them out manually. When you’re ready, hit Publish.