Sam Altman who created ChatGPT now wants to scan your eyeballs with a glowing bowling ball to prove you’re human online, and he made a jingle about it. Seriously. I told you all about it back on May 6. Orb just dropped its first U.S. ad campaign. It’s basically the “If You’re Happy and You Know It” of human verification. It feels like a TSA PreCheck for whatever weird world we’re heading into. It already has 13 million verified humans across 20+ countries, with goals to hit 50 million by the end of 2025. Not me.
5 clever scams spreading now
ChatGPT
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 scams are slick, personalized and powered by scary-good tech like AI voice cloning and deepfakes. And yep, people fall for them every single day.
Here are today’s scummy front-runners, plus how to protect your cash, pride and sanity:
1. The AI voice clone
This one’s horrifying because it sounds like someone you trust. Scammers grab a clip of your child’s, spouse’s, boss’ voice from social media, podcasts or even your voicemail.
Then they call your mom, your grandpa, your partner: “Hi, it’s me. I’m in big trouble. I need money. Don’t tell anyone.” It’s not them. It’s AI. And it works because it feels real.
Anthony in Los Angeles was deceived by scammers who used AI to replicate his son’s voice. Believing his son was in distress, Anthony transferred $25,000 to the fraudsters.
If you get a call like this, call or text the person. Try someone they live or work with.
2. ‘Your bank account’s frozen’
You get a text or call from your “bank,” and the number looks legit. They say your account is locked due to suspicious activity and you need to confirm your info.
Stop right there. That link? Fake. The person on the phone? Also fake.
Charles in Iowa lost over $300,000. Always open your bank’s app or type the web address in yourself. Never tap the link they send.
Car scam alert: A Nebraska man with terminal cancer tried to buy a $12K 1955 Chevy for one last summertime cruise. Instead, he wired money to a fake escrow site. Now the website, the cash and his dream are long gone. BBB says the site was a mirage. I hope these scammers rot in hell.
$1.8 million
Shaq’s price tag for promoting a crypto collapse. Unlike Brady and Curry, Big Diesel stayed on the hook thanks to a wild goose chase to serve him legal papers. He pitched FTX as legit, then claimed he didn’t get crypto at all. Now he’s settling, no guilt admitted, but the check clears just the same.
Smarter seat belts soon
Remember when you’d sit in your dad’s car sans seat belt? Me, too. Well, Volvo’s working on adaptive seat belts that tighten or loosen based on your size and how serious the crash is. So if you’re smaller, it eases up to protect your ribs.
🍕 When the Pentagon eats pizza: An X account tracked pizza shop orders near the Pentagon, and predicted Israel’s strike on Iran hours before it happened. Pizza spiked, then dropped. The bar went quiet. Suddenly missiles. It’s not the first time folks have linked local takeout to military action.
🔥 Wildfires go predictive: AI can now predict massive wildfires 10 days in advance. It uses CO₂ data, land maps, weather info and code that somehow knows forest vibes. Get this, it even clocked those Canadian fires before they hit. Honestly, better track record than most weathermen. AI just declared that tree has arson energy.
📞 Hacker hang-up: Hackers leaked 64 million T-Mobile customer records. The data has real names, phone numbers, cookie IDs (the whole privacy piñata), but T-Mobile says it’s “not our circus, not our monkeys.” Maybe this leak needs to go on Maury: “You are NOT the data parent!”
Got an old Cloud Cam? Unplug it ASAP. Amazon shut down app support in 2022. If it’s still connected to the internet, hackers could break in and spy on you at home. The worst part? There’s no word yet how long this has been a risk. Appreciate the notice, Amazon … really.
Big 23andMe lawsuit: More than two dozen states are trying to block the company from selling customer DNA. They’re arguing your genetic code belongs to you and shouldn’t be sold without clear consent (paywall link). 23andMe’s clapback? People agreed to it in the fine print. PSA: You can still delete your data. Here’s how. But it’s probably already been sold off to who knows who.
☠️ Flash your crypto, risk a zip tie ride: The Taihuttu family, famous for going all in on Bitcoin, is now reportedly hiding hand-etched crypto keys across four continents. Why? The recent rise in kidnappings of crypto owners. Here’s a tip: How about you don’t tell the world you’re hiding a ton of crypto? And don’t get the Bitcoin logo tattooed on your arm.
👀 Big Tech’s got their eyes on your emails: Time to shut the door. I’m all in with StartMail: private, super secure, and you can even use burner addresses. Try it free for seven days, then grab 60% off your first year. Own your inbox today!*
🚨 Precious metal scams: A Florida couple lost over $2 million after fraudsters told them there was a warrant out for their arrest. The fix? Buy gold bars and coins in exchange for their freedom. They handed it to a courier and only found out months later it was all a lie. Folks, police will never ask you for money or gold.
Your receipt is poison: Some receipts are still printed with BPS, a BPA cousin that’s banned in the U.K. but alive and well in the U.S. Scientists say it’s probably fine, but maybe don’t rub your face with it like it’s a love letter. Cancer links are unproven, yet, but just leave it or throw it out.
🧳 Global Entry is getting faster: New camera tech will soon let travelers breeze through passport control without stopping. Your face gets scanned on the move, so no kiosks or lines. It’s being tested at seven airports, including Miami, LAX, Chicago O’Hare and Toronto. Suddenly, that $120 five-year membership doesn’t sound so bad.
🛡️ 1 billion malware threats: 1 simple fix. Antivirus software protects your devices from viruses, ransomware and more before they can do any harm. Cover five devices for just $19 for the first year. That’s less than a trip to the movies.
Think before you “unsubscribe”: That little link at the bottom of emails might clean up your inbox or land you on a fake site. Scammers use it to steal passwords or install malware (paywall link). Play it safe: Hit the unsubscribe button at the top, like in Gmail, or mark it as spam and delete.
🕳️ Fake links, real damage: Watch out. Cyber creeps are shoving malware-laced links into cloned Google Calendar invites and Meet links. Fix? Turn on “Known Senders” in Calendar and trust no “tech support” that sounds like it’s from a gas station payphone.
🚨 Fake crypto apps will make you cry: Again, this happened. Over 20 were found posing as popular wallets like SushiSwap, PancakeSwap and more. They asked folks to enter their 12-word mnemonic phrase, which could give hackers full access to their crypto. PSA: App icons can be deceiving; make sure the dev is verified and always double-check those reviews.
📉 Pocket, zipped: Mozilla’s Pocket app — yes, the “save it for later” one — is shutting down July 8. Mozilla reasoned it needs to focus on Firefox, of all things. Data vanishes in October. If you’ve got a decade of unread articles, now’s your moment. Or just accept you’ll never finish that 2016 “Rise and Fall of Vine” op-ed.