🏪 Groceries are so expensive: Flipp compares prices so you don’t have to. Type in what you’re looking for and your address, city or ZIP code to find sales near you. At least eggs aren’t $8 a dozen anymore.
I wasted 36 hours trying to do it myself
So many of the calls, emails, messages and DMs I get are about privacy and security. I can’t remember the last time I had a full day where no one asked me some version of “How do I get all this info about me off the internet?”
It’s not just you. It’s me, too. After finding my personal cellphone number available on a free people-search site last year, I made it my mission to scrub everything online about me. There are literally hundreds of companies and sites that collect personal info, and they make it extremely hard to get your data removed. Why? Because they profit from selling your data — and mine.
I called the series Opt-Out Tuesday. We put together articles, newsletters and radio segments promoting it. I shared the steps in my nationally syndicated columns. And yet …
I didn’t make a dent
To be fair, we heard from a ton of people who had success following our instructions and removing their info. In fact, the big people search site networks got so peeved, they changed the steps to remove your data after one of my articles went viral.
I spent 36 hours emailing the scummy sites, filling out forms, making calls and even sending letters by USPS. I gave up when I had no real progress. That’s when I researched services to do this for me. I tried three, and I ultimately picked Incogni.
It took me about 3 minutes
Creating an account was easy, and I was immediately opted out of 27 databases, with 47 more requests sent. Now we’re talking about hundreds of sites I’m opted out of with no extra work on my end.
All you have to do is create an account and then enter your name and address. These sites require this info to remove your data — so you’d do that whether or not you use Incogni. Bonus: You can add up to three addresses and three phone numbers, too, so they can catch all the sneaky records.
Then, you grant Incogni permission to reach out on your behalf. After you finish the setup process, you’ll see a list of sites you’ve been removed from and pending requests.
How to spot a fake retail website before you buy
I got a question this week from Janet in Idaho. She was scrolling Instagram, clicked an ad for a super-cute dress and bought it. Next thing you know, there are bogus charges on her debit card. “How the heck did that happen?” she asked me. “It was a website I’ve shopped on before.”
🚨 “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.
What does the acronym URL stand for? Is it … A.) Uniform Resource Locator, B.) Universal Retrieval Link, C.) Unified Reference Library or D.) User Request Log?
Prices at the grocery store changing before your eyes
When I saw this in action, I knew you’d want to learn about it. Grocery stores across the country are swapping out printed price stickers on aisles for electronic ones. Retailers say it saves time. But the cost of an item could change in the time it takes you to walk from the deli to the frozen aisle.
🛫 Ticket to scam: Boarding passes display your full legal name, ticket number and passenger name record. That six-digit code plus your last name gives anyone access to your booking info online (think email, phone number, address), and they can even change or cancel your flight. Do not post photos of your boarding passes on social!
🚨 Alexa wants you to vote a certain way: When asked why you should vote for Donald Trump in the upcoming U.S. presidential election, Amazon Alexa said, “I cannot provide content that promotes a specific political party or a specific candidate.” But for Kamala Harris, it returned a list of answers, including, “[S]he is a female of color with a comprehensive plan to address racial injustice and inequality throughout the country.” Amazon says it was a glitch and they’ve since fixed it. Makes you wonder where else Big Tech is spewing their employees’ opinions.
🧮➕ You can count on me: Next time you need to do a simple calculation, type it directly into your browser’s address bar and hit Enter. You can do the same with the search bar in Windows or Mac’s Spotlight Search.
🛫 Ticket to scam: Boarding passes display your full legal name, ticket number and passenger name record. That six-digit code plus your last name gives anyone access to your booking info online (think email, phone number and address), and they can even change or cancel your flight. Do not post photos of your boarding passes on social!
Math counts: Next time you need to do a simple calculation, type it directly into your browser’s address bar and hit Enter. It even works for percentages, like “What is 40% of 50?” or whatever numbers you need.
🏠 Off the grid: More folks are blurring their homes and businesses on Google Maps. With burglaries and break-ins on the rise, thieves can easily use Maps to scout properties and find the best way in. Protect yourself: Search for your address on Google Maps Street View, click Report a problem in the bottom right, select what you want blurred and answer the questions.
🚨 I told you about this already: It’s finally hit mainstream news that hackers leaked 2.7 billion records from National Public Data. Translation: Every American (and residents in the U.K. and Canada) may have their full name, address, date of birth, phone number and Social Security number up for grabs. Protect yourself and freeze your credit today!
Don’t click on Google ads: Malware wormed its way into search ads for Google Authenticator. They were very hard to spot, with the display URL “https://www.google.com” and the advertiser “verified by Google.” Need to download something? Scroll past the ads and sponsored content, or type in the official address yourself.
Watch your kids, please: Maria Gomez-Perez, 12, was on Facebook telling several adult male strangers she was unhappy at home. On May 29, 31-year-old Antonio Agustin picked her up in Georgia and drove her to his home in Ohio. The other day, Maria told her father on Facebook she wasn’t coming home. Authorities tracked that message’s IP address to Agustin’s home and arrested him.
🐹 Chrome guinea pig: Want to see what’s coming next to your Chrome browser? Put this in the address bar: chrome://flags/
Ctrl + Space + X is Musk’s favorite keyboard shortcut: You used to be able to break into Elon Musk’s Starlink with just a leaked username and password. Then, bingo — you’ve got yourself some pricey hardware with someone else’s credit card. Now, they’re finally adding a two-factor authentication pop-up if someone tries to change your account email address or phone number. About time.
Quick cleanup: Clearing the cache on your browser can fix annoying display or loading issues. With your browser open, hit Ctrl + Shift + R on Windows, or hold down Shift and click your browser’s Refresh button (the one that looks like this — ⟳ — next to the address bar).
📍 Where am I? Ask your smartphone! So handy on vacation or if you’re lost. You’ll get your address and location on a map, which you can then share. Just say, “Hey, Siri” or “Hey, Google,” followed by, “Where am I?”
Calling all tech nerds: In Chrome, you can access experimental or beta features. In the address bar, type chrome://flags and hit Enter. Scroll through and see if any catch your eye.