Today is National System Administrator Appreciation Day, but this special day will soon be off the calendars. Thank you to all the unsung heroes updating, plugging and unplugging things and reminding us, “No, you can’t use 123456 again.” When you have a problem with your tech, you can now stop begging your spouse, your kids […]
Buy now, pay later (BNPL) apps are everywhere. See something shiny? Tap tap, and BAM, you own it in four “easy” payments. Zero interest, no credit card shame spiral. What a dream, right? But here’s what they’re not telling you: While you’re breaking up your payments, they’re also breaking up your data and sharing it […]
How many online accounts have you made over the years? 50? 100? More? That’s enough to fill a digital graveyard. A new study shows that 25% of all online accounts are never used again, but they don’t just disappear. They sit there, wide open, with your email address and password attached. These forgotten logins are […]
(First, a weird image for this story, I know. I was playing around with Meta AI. Why? Coming on Monday, tips, tricks and don’ts of using AI to create art, logos and more. You don’t want to miss that newsletter!) If you’re a millennial, or you love one from a safe financial distance, brace yourself: […]
You’d think Beyoncé’s secret files crew would be protected by a force field of security, privacy settings and Sasha Fierce energy. But nope, real-world crime doesn’t care how many Grammys you have. Right before her recent Atlanta show, thieves smashed the glass of a rental Jeep used by her crew and made off with two […]
“Kim, I am so sick and tired of all the ads on websites. It feels like they’ve gotten worse since ChatGPT is taking away site traffic from Google. How do I block the annoying ads?” — Terry in Ohio Terry, you’re right. Websites are loading up with more ads than ever. Pop-ups, auto-playing videos, banners […]
Look at the image. That’s not the real Omaha Steaks. It’s from a fake site designed to steal your money. It’s happening all over the internet right now. You see a great deal on name-brand stuff, a new smartwatch, fancy cookware, maybe some designer jeans, and you click. Everything looks real. The logos, the layout, […]
I don’t mean to be a downer, but I need to warn you that tens of thousands of Americans, folks just like you, are getting duped into buying worthless Chinese stocks. The Wall Street Journal (paywall link) found even seasoned investors are falling for this scam, losing big bucks in the blink of an eye. […]
Today’s a short but super important security tip. If you’re still getting login codes via text on your phone, stop. That’s so 2010 and one of the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to online security. Sure, it’s convenient. You type in your password, get a six-digit code via SMS, enter it, and you’re […]
“Kim, Lifelock has gotten so expensive. Do I even need it?” — Matt in Texas I’ve been hearing this a lot, Matt. I agree, LifeLock is pricey. My bill was $239.88 a year. Now, I’m paying $62.64 a year, that’s a 74% savings! More about that later. Yes, you really need a service to protect […]
You’ve heard me say it a hundred times: Clear your cookies, block third-party trackers, use private browsing. But here’s something new, something creepier. Now, even after nuking cookies from orbit and going full incognito ninja, websites still know who you are. How? Something called browser fingerprinting. And unlike actual crime-fighting fingerprints, this one just helps […]
Here’s something you probably don’t know. Your banking app is packed with credit card tools that can help you fight fraud, track every dollar and even shop safer online. Yep, your boring old banking app is secretly a money-smart ninja. You just haven’t poked around enough. Let’s activate some life-upgrade-level settings right now. Figure out […]
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 […]
I’ve got bad news: Today’s online scammers know everything about you. They’re scraping your info and everyone else’s from the web and buying the rest from data brokers and people-search sites. 📈 The stats are scary Folks age 60-plus are the biggest target. Almost 72% of scams start with personal data grabbed online. Data brokers […]
Picture this: You’re worth millions in crypto. You think your money’s safe because it’s digital, anonymous and locked up behind a strong password. But there’s one security hole you didn’t count on, your physical body. That’s exactly what happened in a terrifying case out of New York City. Two men allegedly kidnapped a crypto investor […]
Hackers just hit a massive jackpot: 184 million accounts across Apple, Google and Microsoft were exposed in a sweeping data breach. I’m talking email addresses, usernames, passwords, device info (the whole buffet), now up for grabs on the dark web. Before you say, “I’m safe, I use strong passwords,” or “I’ve never been hacked,” take […]
It doesn’t bother me anymore, but it used to. Maybe it’s happened to you. You’re in a Zoom call, wearing pajama bottoms, and someone casually says, “Oh, my AI assistant is taking notes of everything everyone is saying.” Wait, what?! There’s a digital stenographer silently documenting every sigh, awkward pause and half-baked idea you mutter? […]
If you’re about to take a flight, pause for one hot second before you slide your phone into that shiny airport USB port. Both the FBI and FTC are waving red flags: Public charging stations can be straight-up hacker bait. The scam has a name, juice jacking, and no, it’s not a new energy drink. […]
I am hearing more and more reports about a certain travel scam that is not making the tech sites or mainstream news. A “travel agent” or travel site selling fake plane tickets. You pay real cash for a flight that doesn’t actually exist, like booking a table at a restaurant that burned down in 2006. […]
Most people have never heard of companies like Mobilewalla or Gravy Analytics, but they know you. The FTC just clamped down on these two for secretly vacuuming up people’s real-time location data without consent. Not just estimated neighborhoods or passing GPS flickers. We’re talking exact coordinates, tied to your phone’s unique ID, showing where you […]
