🚗 A parent’s worst nightmare: An Uber driver recently took off with a sleeping 5-year-old daughter still in the back. The mom, Julia, called 911, but Uber refused to call the driver without paperwork. It took Toronto cops over an hour to find the girl safe. Uber’s apology? A $10 future ride credit, because nothing says “sorry, we misplaced your child” like one free quarter-ride to Chili’s.
Grandma got played, but not by bingo
Let me tell you a true story that’ll shake you and hopefully protect someone you love from heartbreak or a well-rehearsed scam call.
It happened to a 90-year-old grandmother in Nashville. She picked up the phone because that’s what she’s always done. On the other end was a young woman, her voice trembling, the connection staticky. “Grandma, help! I was in a car accident. I need you to talk to a lawyer right now.”
Her granddaughter Amanda had just graduated from Auburn University. The voice? Familiar enough, especially with the poor signal. And Amanda calling from an emergency? Of course, Grandma was going to listen.
Next comes the ‘lawyer’
He said Amanda needed $6,000 immediately or she could end up in serious legal trouble. So the woman did what any terrified grandmother might do … she complied. She went to the bank and withdrew the cash.
An “errand person” came to her house and picked up the money. Yes, you read that right. Someone came to her front door. That’s how elaborate this scam was.
But later that night, something gnawed at her. She called the number again and said, “I want to talk to my granddaughter.” The scammer hung up. That’s when she dialed the real Amanda and realized the heartbreaking truth.
The good news
Amanda was OK. Her voice was deepfaked by the scammers. The bad news was Grandma was scammed out of $6,000. Lied to. Manipulated. Her family was furious, not at the scammer, but at her.
She said her daughters made her feel embarrassed, even ashamed, she fell for such a scam. That might be the worst part of this entire story.
Let me say this loud and clear: It is not her fault. This wasn’t a mistake, it was a targeted heist. A well-rehearsed act designed to prey on love and urgency.
You need to do this
Remove yourself from the internet
Image: Midjourney
Michelle in Phoenix asks: “Hello, Kim, do you have recommendations for services that remove your phone number, home address off Google? My son is getting extremely harassing texts and vandalism at his home. We want to remove all our phone numbers and addresses from public viewing.”
🛡️ Google scrambles to fix Gmail phishing mess: I told you about this on Saturday, but it’s still going in full force. Don’t fall for spoofed emails claiming your Gmail account is about to be closed down. These are passing Gmail’s scam filters, slipping into inboxes looking squeaky-clean. You know it’s bad when the scammer gets better deliverability than your friend’s birthday email.
Safe Wi-Fi anywhere: Using public Wi-Fi is risky no matter where you go. It doesn’t make a difference if you stay at a five-star luxury hotel, have lunch at your hometown diner or you’re at the airport. The easy way to protect yourself? Turn on a VPN.
🚨 Gmail warning: Scammers are sending fake emails that look like legit Google security alerts. Click the link, and you’ll land on a phony sign-in page built to steal your login details. This one’s extra sneaky because it looks like it’s coming from “no-reply@accounts.google.com.” The red flag? Check the “mailed-by” field. If it says “privateemail.com,” it’s a trap.
Hackers want your home: Cybercriminals can steal your home title, take out massive loans in your name and leave you stuck with the fallout. It’s one of the fastest-growing cybercrimes. Get peace of mind with a free home title history report when you sign up with Home Title Lock using code KIM. You’ll also get a free 14-day trial of their Million Dollar Triple Lock Protection.
🚨 Life insurance data breach alert: Landmark Admin, which works with life insurance and annuities, got hacked last year with an estimated 800,000 people hit. Yeah, we’re just hearing about it now. Surprise, it was actually over 1.6 million. If you’re one of them, you’ll get a letter. Watch out for sketchy calls, texts or emails to be safe. At this point, getting hacked is just America’s newest rite of passage.
🏡 Safe & sound: Protecting your home takes more than just locking the front door. I trust SimpliSafe, the award-winning security system that’s actually easy to set up and use. Don’t wait for a break-in to get serious about your family’s safety.
🤔 Lyft’s up to something: This is crazy. A Toronto woman took a ride with her roommates and later got a text with a transcript of their private convo from inside the car. She called Lyft, and first they said it was a pilot program. Then Lyft blamed the driver. Now, it’s saying it might’ve been a pocket dial. Next update lets your driver live-tweet your breakup in real time.
🚘 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.
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.
🚨 Malware in your feed: Watch out if a crypto livestream pops up on your feed; a hacker might have hijacked your favorite influencer’s account. Once they’re in, scammers usually impersonate big names like Elon Musk. More than 9,000 were spotted on YouTube over the last year. If you spot one, report it.
🛡️ 1 smart move for 1 billion malware threats: Don’t wait for a virus to wreck your files or freeze your screen. A good antivirus zaps ransomware, spyware and other digital creeps before they can do harm. Lock down five devices for just $19. Yep, cheaper than your last late-night Uber Eats run.
📦 “Help me”: A brave woman in Florida whispered that to her Amazon delivery driver, who saw marks on her neck and called 911. The police arrested her ex-husband, Frank Mandolini, for allegedly choking her. He still lives with her and their daughter. His excuse? He told the cops he didn’t “cause her to lose her breath.” Sound familiar to you? Call 911 or 800-799-SAFE (800-799-7233), text START to 88788 or go here. I care about you.
🚨 Use WhatsApp? Watch out. There’s a nasty bug going around that lets hackers send you what looks like a JPEG, but it’s actually malware. Click it, and boom: A hidden .exe file could run and infiltrate your system. Blame WhatsApp for misreading certain file types. The fix? Make sure you’re running a version higher than 2.2450.6 to be safe.
✅ 50% off alert: My home security pick, SimpliSafe, is having a massive sale. I love their new Active Guard technology that alerts you before a break-in happens. You don’t need to live in fear or worry about burglars when you’re not home. Get all the gear to lock down your home for half off.
📍 T-Mobile messed up big-time: The company sells a GPS tracker so parents can see their young kids’ locations if they don’t have a phone yet. But last week, a software glitch showed users the live locations, names and photos of random children instead (paywall link)! Somewhere, a lawyer just whispered: “delicious.” It’s apparently been fixed, but seriously, that kind of info should never be leaked.