July 29, 2025

Get 100% free tech support 24/7

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 […]

July 28, 2025

F​​our payments and a data leak

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 […]

July 26, 2025

Hackers love your zombie accounts

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 […]

July 18, 2025

Millennials are the newest scam target

(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: […]

July 16, 2025

Even Queen Bey ain’t safe

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 […]

July 12, 2025

Adpocalypse survival guide

“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 […]

July 9, 2025

Credit card? Try regret card

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, […]

July 2, 2025

When your stock is actually a scam

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.  […]

July 1, 2025

Stop using 2FA text codes already

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 […]

June 29, 2025

How I stopped scammers cold

“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 […]

June 23, 2025

Your browser is snitching on you

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 […]

June 20, 2025

This hidden setting stops fraud in its tracks

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 […]

June 17, 2025

5 clever scams spreading now

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 […]

June 9, 2025

Elder fraud is exploding: Your data is making it worse

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 […]

June 1, 2025

Digital cash, physical threat

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 […]

May 31, 2025

184 million accounts just leaked, yours could be next

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 […]

May 27, 2025

Meetings now come with surveillance

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? […]

May 20, 2025

Hackers want you to make this mistake

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. […]

May 15, 2025

Scam in the skies

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.  […]

May 14, 2025

This is worse than spam calls

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 […]