Haven’t used your PayPal account in forever? Delete it and erase all the data associated with your name. Log in and click the Settings icon. Select Data & Privacy > Delete your data and close account. Follow the on-screen prompts, and wait for the confirmation email.
8 ways your phone is tracking you - That you can stop now
You understand that your phone knows where you’re located. This is how GPS works, how Find My sees your location and why you get local ads on Facebook and Google. Like other data on your phone, that location data is a hot commodity for internet marketers.
Thankfully, you don’t have to stand for this kind of data collection. These tactics are legal because the companies behind them give you a choice to opt in or out, but not everyone knows how to change the settings. We’ll show you how to stop your phone from tracking you. Ready to go dark? Let’s get started.
This tip is brought to you by our sponsor, TotalAV. Right now, get an annual plan of TotalAV Internet Security for only $19 at ProtectWithKim.com. That’s over 85% off the regular price.
1. Tweak your phone’s location settings
You can prevent iOS and Android from tracking you, but companies don’t make it easy. The feature is buried inside your device’s privacy settings and, by default, records your daily routine.
Known as “Frequent Locations,” it keeps track of where you are and how long you stay there. It even knows where you live and work based on how long you’re there and when you visit.
If you find this unsettling, you can turn the feature off. Here are the basic steps, but depending on your specific model and operating system, you may need to follow different instructions.
Turn off location settings on Apple devices
- Open Settings.
- Tap Privacy & Security.
- Select Location Services.
- Scroll down and tap System Services.
- Choose Significant Locations to see the logged record of where you’ve been and toggle it off.
You can also clear your history here by clicking Clear History.
Scam emails we got this week – Don’t fall for this junk!
Eight billion. That’s how many spam emails go out in the U.S. every single day. Komando staff (me included!) have received some real winners recently. Here’s a look at actual spam emails circulating right now. I want to keep you safe from junk like this, so read carefully!
Google’s deleting inactive Gmail accounts
Don’t let your digital life vanish! Many tech companies are deleting profiles, and you could lose everything. Here’s why.
🚨 Hackers’ latest Facebook tricks: They’re stealing accounts to post fake product listings on Marketplace or in status updates or stories. Or they’re using those stolen profiles to post that someone has died and they need money for the funeral. PSA: Have strong passwords and lock your profile so only your friends can see it.
1,000-year-old seed
Grew into a 10-foot tree with biblical significance. It took 14 years, but scientists grew a once-extinct plant. It appears to be the one that produced a medical extract called “tsori” that was referred to in the book of Genesis and Old Testament accounts of Jeremiah and Ezekiel.
Worth a try if your Facebook account gets hacked: Meta doesn’t care if your FB account is hacked. One woman had to use Facebook’s automated help page, which sent her account’s reset code straight to the hacker’s email. It wasn’t until she paid $14.99 a month for Meta Verified that she finally spoke to a live agent and got her account back.
🚨 Gmail scam spreading: This is frightening. Watch out for fake Gmail account recovery request notifications that look like the real deal. Hackers try to convince you to sign in through a phony login page, where they can then capture your password. Ignore or decline the request and they’ll follow up with an AI-generated Google support call in which the caller claims someone has accessed your account and stolen your data. Ignore that, too. Pass this on so everyone knows this is happening.
Stop the binge: Streaming apps usually queue up the next episode of a show automatically, but most have a setting to stop this. On Netflix, click your account picture (top right), then Manage Profiles and your profile to find the option.
Poor Swiftie: A Taylor Swift fan had her $3,500 concert tickets swiped right from her Ticketmaster account. Someone hacked in and transferred them out. It’s happening more often, and support says it could take days to resolve — with no guarantees. Ticketmaster’s brilliant advice? Create stronger passwords.
🚨 “Hello pervert”: Scammers are sending emails claiming they’ve recorded you through your webcam and will release the footage unless you pay up. They’re using details like your home address or an old password to make it more believable. Don’t reply, and if any accounts still use that old password, change it immediately.
I can’t leave you out, Android pals: Scan with Google Drive. Hit the plus sign in the bottom right > Scan. Follow the on-screen instructions, then save it to your account. So easy.
Teamwork makes the dream work: Copilot Pages is Microsoft’s answer to Google Docs. Ask Copilot for research, drop the responses into a new page, then edit with your colleagues in real time. Try it now if you use Microsoft 365 Copilot ($30 per month); it’s coming free for Copilot customers with Microsoft Entra accounts soon.
😭 Look who died: Don’t click on a strange link making the rounds on Facebook that says, “Look who died.” Surprise, it’s a scam. Lowlifes want to get all the deets on your account to wreak havoc.
Let’s Turk about it: I mentioned Amazon Mechanical Turk on my show and I keep getting questions. Get paid to complete tasks that are easier for people than bots, like analyzing images and transcribing audio. Sign up here for a Worker account.
Charges you forgot about: Amazon Subscribe & Save is handy when it’s stuff you want and annoying when it’s stuff you just forgot to cancel. From Your Account, select Memberships & Subscriptions or Subscribe & Save Items to see a list of your subscriptions, costs and renewal dates.
Zip it: If your phone rings and someone says, “Can you hear me?” or “Is this [your name]?” hang up. Scammers record your “Yes” to create voice authorizations for bank account access. Bonus points if you report shady numbers to the Better Business Bureau’s Scam Tracker.
Stop blabbin’: Dropbox’s AI may share your files with OpenAI and other third parties. Don’t remember signing up for that? Me, neither. To turn it off, log in to Dropbox, hit your Account icon, go to Settings, find the Third-Party AI tab and toggle the switch to Off.
Alerts that matter: You don‘t want Gmail informing you of every single email — only the ones you care about. Set it up that way. Open the Gmail app, tap Menu > Settings, and select your account. Tap Email notifications > High priority only. To set an email (and sender) as high priority, star a message or hit Mark as important.