🚦 You have unpaid tolls: No, you don’t. DMVs in NY, FL, CA and elsewhere are warning about scammy texts pretending you owe traffic fines. They threaten to yank your license. Spoiler alert: It’s fake. Don’t click the links, unless you really want scammers to know your SSN.
Digital cash, physical threat
ChatGPT
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 and held him captive for weeks in a luxury town house. Why? To beat the password out of him. It’s called a “$5 wrench attack” by insiders.
Kidnapped for crypto
According to The Wall Street Journal, Michael Carturan, with $30 million in crypto, walked into a Soho town house expecting a pitch meeting … and left 25 days later barefoot and traumatized.
The goal? Force him to unlock his Bitcoin wallet. Kidnapped. Held hostage. Tortured, yes, even threatened with a chain saw, until he gave up his wallet info.
This isn’t a plot from a Netflix thriller, it’s real life. And it’s a terrifying new way criminals are going after digital riches.
Carturan finally escaped barefoot into the street, flagged down an NYPD officer and lived to tell the tale.
Two suspects were caught, including (because this story wouldn’t be complete otherwise) a former crypto CEO.
This isn’t just one wild story
It’s happening more than you might think.
A Connecticut couple cruising around in their Lamborghini get kidnapped. Six guys grab them not because they’re flashy but because they thought the couple’s son was sitting on a fortune in crypto. Federal prosecutors say the plan was to hold them for ransom.
$9 billion
That’s how much fraud Apple says it’s blocked since 2019. The App Store stopped more than $9 billion in shady transactions over five years, with over $2 billion just last year. Add in nearly 2 million rejected apps and 711 fake customer accounts, Apple’s basically going full “you shall not pass” mode.
Math problem pyramid scheme: A fake Facebook event disguised as a “genius-level math contest” has been a top post for half a year, somehow racking up 115M+ views. Spoiler: It’s just a viral engagement trap. People are still arguing about its fake equation in the comments a year later. My math teacher called me average. How mean.
👾 Remote jobs, real spyware: A Minnesota woman ran a “laptop farm” letting North Korean IT workers pose as U.S. remote hires. Her setup funneled $17M to the DPRK before the FBI shut it down. Workers used stolen IDs, hacked into American companies and even got jobs at top tech firms. The woman says she didn’t know; the feds say, “lol, not ok.”
🧢 Adidas x identity theft: Hackers hit an Adidas contractor and grabbed customer data. Adidas says it was just contact info, but still, change your password on adidas.com if you have an account. Adidas is now investigating this little cyber joggers’ detour and letting the impacted users know.
1,000 lashes: Some guys online are shaving off their eyelashes to look more masculine. PSA: They’re not just for looks, boys. Lashes protect your eyes from dirt and deflect air from your cornea. And once you start messing with them, it ups your risk of infections like pink eye. Just don’t.
🚘 Car wrap scam: You get a text saying big brands will pay you to wrap your car in advertising. After you fill out an application, a “rep” sends a cashier’s check and tells you to deposit it, then pay a local installer via Cash App. Plot twist: The check’s fake, it bounces later and you’re out thousands. Never stops.
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🚀 The Force encrypts: The CIA apparently ran a fake Star Wars site to secretly talk with spies around the world. It had R2-D2 pics and everything. But behind the scenes? Informants would enter a password in the search bar to open a secret chat with their CIA handler. And yes, it’s been shut down.
🩺 AI at your next doctor visit: I told you about this six months ago, and mainstream media is catching up. Doctors are starting to use ambient listening tech that records your conversations. It filters out small talk, then writes notes and updates medical records. Pretty handy, since paperwork can drop from 90 minutes to under 30 (paywall link). But uh, imagine if that data gets breached.
⚠️ iPhone alert: Data experts say you should update to iOS 18.5 ASAP to patch a nasty bug. Hackers could access your personal files just by sending you a malicious image. If you’ve got an iPhone XS or newer, go to Settings > General > Software Update and tap Download and Install. Don’t wait!
Big Tech are email snoops: Gmail, Yahoo and all those other Big Tech companies track your email activity. StartMail puts privacy first! No ads, no tracking, includes encrypted emails and disposable addresses. Get 60% off your first year, and try it free for seven days.
Phishing got a glow-up: Scam emails used to scream “Nigerian prince” with typos galore. Now, AI makes them sound more legit than your actual bank. No weird phrasing, no broken English: just a well-written lie in your inbox. Even tiny languages like Icelandic aren’t safe. Slow down reading your email, and don’t jump to act.
🏠 All it takes is one forged signature: Cybercriminals can steal your home, take out loans and leave you buried in debt. Get a free title history report and 14-day trial at Home Title Lock with code KIM.
🚨 Fake customer support: Scammers are planting bogus phone numbers online for banks, airlines and retailers. You might find one through a Google search, or they’ll slide into your DMs after you post a complaint. Cue being tricked into installing remote access software so they can “help.” Stick to official sites for contact info, folks.
📹 T-Mobile’s recording you: T-Mobile quietly flipped on screen recording in its T-Life app, by default. It claims it’s just “app activity,” not your personal data, and you can turn it off. But still, no opt-in? Bold move. Everyone’s phone just became a reality show, but no one got a casting call.
🪙 Crypto torture: If you own crypto, don’t tell anyone you cannot fully and completely trust. Crimes like this one are exploding. A Manhattan crypto investor allegedly kidnapped and tortured an Italian man for three weeks, trying to steal his Bitcoin. The town house? $30K/month. Police say the guy escaped and had electric burns, bruises … and his coins still intact. Mamma mia!
💸 Life savings wiped: Think these scams only happen to older adults? A 26-year-old lost over $30,000 after getting a fake text from “Wells Fargo” about a $1,300 charge. He replied no, got a call and scammers convinced him to transfer his money to a new account. Poof, all gone. FYI: Banks will never ask you to move your money to stop fraud.
88%
That’s how many Gen Zers are cool with sharing their data for free. Now, Verb.AI’s giving them a reason to actually profit from the surveillance. Gen Z: simultaneously terrified of phone calls and totally fine letting a startup track their every digital move. “It’s not stalking if it’s opt-in,” apparently.