Un-bell-ievable: The FCC is slapping Chinese video doorbell maker Eken with a $735,000 fine. Sold by big names like Amazon and Walmart, Eken’s doorbells exposed users’ IP addresses and Wi-Fi network names and gave others unauthorized access to videos.
This crime shot up 400% – watch out
To keep you and your money safe, I make it a point to always let you know about the spreading scams, from crypto catfishing to AI deepfakes. I bet you’re going to be surprised by this news: The crime that shot up 400% last year is old-school check fraud.
It’s not high-tech, but it is highly effective. In 2023, check scammers stole $26.2 billion from Americans like you and me, right out of our mailboxes.
How crooks write themselves a blank check
Scammers coordinate in private groups on Telegram, Facebook or TikTok to share tips and sell tools that make it easy for scams to spread. One of their tricks? Buying universal keys that can open any USPS drop box or snapping up books of blank checks from the Dark Web.
But plenty of crooks just swipe checks right from your mailbox. Then, they use simple household chemicals like acetone to dissolve the ink and write themselves (or their alias) some spending money.
Fraudsters deposit their haul at an ATM or right from their couch through a banking app, then they withdraw the cash in chunks so it doesn’t trigger alerts. Before you or your bank know it, they’re on their way to the casino, buying designer goods or investing in real estate — you name it.
What are banks doing about it?
Banks are cracking down on fraud with stricter deposit policies and extended hold times on deposits. So, if you’ve noticed your funds aren’t clearing as fast as they used to, it’s because banks are taking extra time to verify deposits for potential fraud.
A recent viral TikTok glitch exploited J.P. Morgan’s instant access feature for deposits from bad checks. Scammers flooded in, and many ended up being sued — proof crime doesn’t pay.
5 ways to protect yourself and your money
- Use a USPS-approved locking mailbox. This one ($99, 9% off) has an extra layer of security that keeps casual thieves from easily grabbing your mail.
- Set up notifications for suspicious activity. Check your bank account regularly for anything unusual. I have alerts set up for withdrawals over a certain dollar amount, as well as fraud alerts.
- Skip the mailbox. For recurring bills or one-time payments, apps like Zelle, Venmo or PayPal, or even ACH transfers, are secure and eliminate the risk of stolen checks. If you really need to send something sensitive, like birthday money, drop it off inside a post office instead of using an outdoor mailbox.
- Sign up for USPS Informed Delivery. This free service lets you see and track your incoming mail online, so you’ll know if something goes missing before it arrives (or doesn’t).
- Only use fraud-resistant pens. My favorite low-tech solution is to write checks with a pen specifically designed to prevent ink from being altered. This 4-pack is my go-to ($7.06, 50% off).
If any of your checks go missing or you suspect fraud, file a report immediately — not just with your bank, but also with USPS and your local police department. Be sure to ask for a case number so you can track the progress of your claim.
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6 holiday scams you need to know about
Whoa, we blinked and it’s mid-November! The days are shorter, your to-do list is longer, and scammers are ready to catch you off guard. Luckily, you’ve got me on your side with the top holiday scams.
Criminals and AI voice bots are calling, emailing and texting, claiming to be Amazon employees. Oh, no, your account is on hold! Or there’s been suspicious activity you need to deal with now. They’ll ask you for your payment info — that’s a glaring red flag.
1,000-plus
Fake news sites tied to China that were just blocked by Google. The Glassbridge network was trying to pass off communist propaganda as “journalism.” One firm ran over 600 sites. The real question: Why did it take Google this long to spot and remove them?
$96 million, missing: Thousands of Americans lost their savings after fintech firm Synapse collapsed. Customers thought their money was government-backed, but now, banks are returning very little — or nothing at all. One family was offered $500 for their lost $280,000. This is your reminder to triple-check your money to make sure it’s in an FDIC-backed account.
🪪 Beyond the airport: Travel verification company Clear is working on facial recognition for everything: Replacing your wallet, driver’s license, passwords and even your house keys with a selfie. They say it’ll help prevent fraud and be more convenient. What happens if hackers steal your face when it’s your universal ID?
There’s no fun in these funerals: Scammers are creating 24/7 fake funeral livestreams on Facebook and tricking people into handing over their credit card info. They use real photos and details about a person who’s passed, then they ask for a card “to verify your location” and secretly set you up for recurring payments.
🚦 Cop-out behavior: Two Missouri police officers got busted using traffic stops as a way to see naked pics of women. One former officer reportedly searched 20 different phones last year. He told the victims he was looking at their phones for insurance info, then, if he found racy pics on their devices, he snapped photos of them with his own phone. He and another trooper pleaded not guilty.
Major lawsuit incoming: A student at a private school in Pennsylvania made AI-generated naked pics of 50 female classmates. It took nearly a year to arrest the creep. Jeez, almost a year … The head of the school and the board’s president resigned. They should’ve been fired.
Porch pirates are smarter than ever: Across the U.S., they’re stealing AT&T iPhones delivered by FedEx. They’re using tracking numbers to get real-time updates and swipe packages in seconds. Even worse? The info might be coming from rogue AT&T employees. Get a lockable porch box and a video doorbell.
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I can bearly believe this story. Four dopes used a bear suit and fake claws to ruin a Rolls-Royce and claim the insurance money.
🦴 A robot dog is patrolling Trump’s Mar-a-Lago: “Spot” is unarmed and has a “Do not pet” sign on each leg. The Secret Service isn’t saying what it’s being used for, but with cameras, thermal sensors and a $75,000 price tag, surveillance to protect the President-elect is obvious — he needs it.
I had a joke, but someone stole it: I thought this was interesting. Radio-emitting threads could replace metal tags to stop shoplifters. A company called Myruns is behind the tech. The threads are five times thinner than a single human hair. Special ink inside the threads would transmit signals to set off alarms.
Oops, they did it again: First, Communist China copied the U.S. military’s F-35 jets using stolen drawings and secrets. Now, their military is ripping off our robot dogs, too. China’s “robo wolves” follow commands, like “sit,” “stand” and “move,” and they can do other tricks, like running, carrying supplies and firing rifles. Who needs spy movies when our military secrets are practically doing press tours?
Social Security recipients get a 2.5% raise in January: Scammers are on it. The increase will show up automatically in your bank account or as a check in the mail, no action needed. If anyone contacts you asking for “extra steps” to get your raise, it’s a scam. Report any suspected fraud.
Bad idea: Mozilla has collected more than 30,000 hours of voice recordings from volunteers worldwide. Its Common Voice project is a free public dataset anyone can use to train AI software in 180 languages. Here’s the catch: Mozilla won’t say how or who will use your voice. Don’t add yours.
Just say no: An Uber or Lyft driver might ask you to pay in cash so they can take home more money. They make as little as $9 an hour (paywall link) through the app, but a cash payment means no safety features like the emergency button, and you’ll get hit with cancellation fees.
🎣 Reeled in a big one: A 33-year-old Nigerian man was sentenced to 10 years for a phishing scam that stole $20 million in nest eggs from over 400 U.S. homebuyers. He sent phishing emails to real estate professionals, tricking them into providing their login credentials. Using those, he redirected home purchase payments to compromised accounts and laundered the money into bitcoin via Coinbase, according to the DOJ.
Pass on this NAS: Over 60,000 D-Link network-attached storage (NAS) devices let hackers slip in data-stealing code. Affected models include the DNS-320 Version 1.00, DNS-320LW Version 1.01.0914.2012, DNS-325 versions 1.01 and 1.02, and the DNS-340L Version 1.08. D-Link’s advice? Replace it. Here’s an alternative.
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.