🔐 Android got harder to crack: Google’s rolling out a feature that auto-restarts your locked phone if it hasn’t been used in three days. This puts your data into a fully encrypted state, making it tougher for hackers (or law enforcement) to break in with forensic tools. See if you have it: Go to Settings > Security & privacy > System & updates > Google Play system update. You’re welcome.
Romance scam victim faces 29 years in prison
Midjourney
Jean lives in the Midwest. She’s smart. She’s done well for herself. The kind of woman you’d think could spot a scam a mile away. Btw, that’s not her picture. It’s what I envision her looking like after talking to her.
But this fraud blindsided her, and four years later, it’s still haunting her.
It started with a man online
She was lonely. He was charming, attentive and said all the right things. Jean, like so many others, was pulled in by the connection. When he asked for help moving some money, she said yes, thinking she was doing a favor for someone she cared about.
Then came the big ask: Could she help him turn a pile of cash into Bitcoin?
It was urgent, complicated and she was the only one he could trust. Over time, Jean moved $300,000 in cash to Bitcoin for him. She didn’t know it, but she had just become a money mule in a massive scam.
The fallout was catastrophic
The Secret Service raided her home. She’s now under indictment for money laundering, facing 29 years in prison and up to $500,000 in fines. She lost $200,000 of her own money to the scammer and has spent another $250,000 in legal fees just trying to stay out of prison.
This wasn’t just a scam
It was a full-blown takedown of her life. Here’s what you need to take away from Jean’s story:
- Never send money or move money for someone you’ve never met in real life. Period. If you haven’t shared fries or made awkward eye contact in person, you definitely shouldn’t be sharing routing numbers.
- If someone asks you to convert cash into Bitcoin, run. That’s a favorite trick of scammers. Once that crypto’s gone, it’s gone.
A crypto guide for busy people that won’t make you cry
ChatGPT
Let’s get one thing straight: Crypto isn’t disappearing into the tech void. Love it, hate it or meme it into oblivion, digital currency is sticking around, and the U.S. is auditioning to become the crypto capital of the world.
$328,739.18
The amount raised for an 81-year-old waitress. She told a customer she couldn’t afford to stop working, so a kind stranger posted the story on TikTok. Now Betty’s trading in the diner shift for well-earned rest. Her reaction? “I think I better get a financial adviser!” You and me both, Betty.
✈️ No check-in, no boarding pass, no problem: The airline industry is tossing out a 50-year-old ritual: checking in. Under a new plan from the UN’s aviation agency, travelers upload their passport to their phone, show up at the airport and … just walk in. Your face will handle the rest. It’s reportedly rolling out globally in 2–3 years. Somewhere, a procrastinator just cried tears of joy.
64 hours
That’s how long the workweek just got for some Samsung employees in South Korea. The legal limit is actually 52 hours, but the company got special government approval for staff in its chip-making division. Why? To stay ahead of competitors. Hopefully they’re getting overtime pay and unlimited coffee.
🧠 AI’s climbing career ladders: One venture capitalist just said the thing that makes headlines: AI isn’t just “augmenting” workers, it’s replacing them. Victor Lazarte of Benchmark (backers of Uber and Snap) said lawyers and recruiters are first on the chopping block. Somewhere out there, a robot is bingeing caffeine to cram for the LSAT.
🚘 Hertz data breach alert: Hackers probably have your driver’s license, credit cards and Social Security number after breaching one of Hertz’s vendors late last year. No word on how many people are affected. Watch your bank and credit card statements for little charges, say under $10. That’s how hackers test to see what numbers really work.
$34 million
How much funding a new project called Poolhouse got. The folks behind Topgolf are launching luxury social clubs centered around pool. Think food, drinks and tech like augmented reality. The first one should pop up in London in 2026. Can’t wait to pay $28 for fries while getting hustled by a guy in AirPods.
🚲 The Amish are riding e-bikes: In Ohio, the second-largest settlement is using them to zip past horse-drawn buggies and make life easier. But the community’s torn (paywall link). Horsepower? Out. Wattpower? In.
Using Windows 11? Last week’s update added a weird empty folder called “inetpub” that popped up on the system drive. If you thought it was useless and deleted it, think again. It’s not malware. It’s just Windows being Windows. It’s tied to a security fix. To bring it back: Go to Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features > Turn Windows features on or off > check Internet Information Services > hit OK.
🧠 How Google keeps its AI talent: DeepMind employees are apparently locked into strict noncompete agreements that bar them from joining rivals like OpenAI for up to a year. Google might even pay you not to work. Nice, right? Until you realize AI years are like dog years. Sit out too long, and you’re obsolete.
$10 million
The cost to live in a one-bedroom, 1,184-square-foot apartment aboard the Ulyssia superyacht. Need something bigger? A penthouse will run you a cool $90 million. Private chefs, infinity pools and personal submarines are included, of course. The flyer says, “Yacht for sale.” As if people don’t know what a yacht does. 🛥️
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.
The Pentagon cut $5.1B in contracts: Deloitte, Booz Allen, Accenture … you may be seated. The government’s slashing spending on outside consultants. Why? They finally realized those agreements are unnecessary, and the work can be done in-house. The extra cash will now be redirected to hypersonic weapons, AI and cybersecurity. So basically: fewer spreadsheets, more lasers.
$200 a month
What you’ll pay for Anthropic’s new Claude “Max” subscription tier. It’s made for people who use Claude a lot and run into rate limits. You’ll get up to 20x more usage than the Pro plan, plus early access to new features. And yeah, the timing’s no coincidence. It’s clearly a move to compete with OpenAI’s $200/month tier.
🚨 Bank of America lost your data … literally: Nope, it wasn’t a cyberattack. This time, savings bond documents went missing in transit, and they had everything. Names, addresses, account numbers, SSNs and more — the full “steal my identity” starter pack. No word yet on how many people are affected, but the bank says it’ll notify you. PSA: Freeze your credit.
🏛️ Meta, meet another existential court case: Mark Zuckerberg put on his best courtroom tie and took the stand Monday in a trial that could break up Meta’s empire. The FTC basically wants (paywall link) Meta to sell off Instagram and WhatsApp, claiming Meta bought them just to squash the competition. If IG goes, it could gut over half of Meta’s U.S. ad revenue. The trial runs through July, but the vibes are already tense.
$3 million
How much NASA is offering to anyone who can invent tech that recycles space poop. Why? Well, there are already 96 bags of human waste sitting on the moon from the Apollo missions. NASA wants to avoid adding to the mess or hauling it back to Earth by turning it into something useful. Uh … space compost, anyone?
👩🏫 Feeling left behind? Download NetSuite’s free knowledge drop, “The CFO’s Guide to AI and Machine Learning.” No matter what you do, you should know more about AI. It’s not going anywhere.