Money move: Sign up for text and email alerts from your bank. Yes, it’s a bit annoying to approve purchases, but this has notified me a few times someone got their hands on my card. In your banking app, go into Settings and look for Alerts or Notifications. Smart move, for sure.
This crime shot up 400% – watch out
To keep you and your money safe, I make it a point to always let you know about the spreading scams, from crypto catfishing to AI deepfakes. I bet you’re going to be surprised by this news: The crime that shot up 400% last year is old-school check fraud.
It’s not high-tech, but it is highly effective. In 2023, check scammers stole $26.2 billion from Americans like you and me, right out of our mailboxes.
How crooks write themselves a blank check
Scammers coordinate in private groups on Telegram, Facebook or TikTok to share tips and sell tools that make it easy for scams to spread. One of their tricks? Buying universal keys that can open any USPS drop box or snapping up books of blank checks from the Dark Web.
But plenty of crooks just swipe checks right from your mailbox. Then, they use simple household chemicals like acetone to dissolve the ink and write themselves (or their alias) some spending money.
Fraudsters deposit their haul at an ATM or right from their couch through a banking app, then they withdraw the cash in chunks so it doesn’t trigger alerts. Before you or your bank know it, they’re on their way to the casino, buying designer goods or investing in real estate — you name it.
What are banks doing about it?
Banks are cracking down on fraud with stricter deposit policies and extended hold times on deposits. So, if you’ve noticed your funds aren’t clearing as fast as they used to, it’s because banks are taking extra time to verify deposits for potential fraud.
A recent viral TikTok glitch exploited J.P. Morgan’s instant access feature for deposits from bad checks. Scammers flooded in, and many ended up being sued — proof crime doesn’t pay.
5 ways to protect yourself and your money
- Use a USPS-approved locking mailbox. This one ($99, 9% off) has an extra layer of security that keeps casual thieves from easily grabbing your mail.
- Set up notifications for suspicious activity. Check your bank account regularly for anything unusual. I have alerts set up for withdrawals over a certain dollar amount, as well as fraud alerts.
- Skip the mailbox. For recurring bills or one-time payments, apps like Zelle, Venmo or PayPal, or even ACH transfers, are secure and eliminate the risk of stolen checks. If you really need to send something sensitive, like birthday money, drop it off inside a post office instead of using an outdoor mailbox.
- Sign up for USPS Informed Delivery. This free service lets you see and track your incoming mail online, so you’ll know if something goes missing before it arrives (or doesn’t).
- Only use fraud-resistant pens. My favorite low-tech solution is to write checks with a pen specifically designed to prevent ink from being altered. This 4-pack is my go-to ($7.06, 50% off).
If any of your checks go missing or you suspect fraud, file a report immediately — not just with your bank, but also with USPS and your local police department. Be sure to ask for a case number so you can track the progress of your claim.
We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
How to deal with a cyberstalker
Let me tell you, more and more victims of cyberstalking are reaching out to me for advice using my Ask Kim page. Here’s one note I received recently from P.W. in Oklahoma:
“I’ve been cyberstalked for three years. I recently discovered it was my roommate. I moved out and he launched another attack. He’s on my and my fiance’s phones, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth — everything. He has stolen financial data, pictures, erased accounts, taken over emails and harassed me through VOIP. … He admitted to sitting outside our house all night. I thought he was spying on me. Now I know he was also gaining access to my Wi-Fi. I can’t do this anymore and need expert advice/help terribly.”
Thousands on imposter websites are stealing your banking info
Scammers are operating websites masquerading as major brands. I’ll tell you what to look out for, in one minute.
Android folks, watch out for this: FakeCall malware is targeting over 20 banks. It starts with an infected app that becomes the default calling app on your phone. The next time you call your bank, it redirects to the attacker’s number with a fake screen and everything. Remember, you should only download apps from the official Google Play Store.
The worst money apps for your data revealed
I can’t remember the last time I went into a bank. No reason to now that I do it all from my phone. We trust banking apps to keep our financial info safe and secure — but what about privacy? Oh yeah, that.
Merchant Machine reviewed the privacy policies of today’s top banking and finance apps. Researchers found that the 20 worst offenders take an average of 20 unique types of data. Major yikes.
Divorcing your spouse: How to safely remove them from shared accounts
When you host a show on over 400 radio stations in the U.S. about all things tech, this question comes up quite a bit: “How can I tell if my partner is cheating?”
My best advice is to have an honest conversation with your partner, with the support of a couple’s therapist. Still, cheating does leave a ton of tech breadcrumbs. You have to know where to look.
Newest scam making the rounds: If you have automatic deposits enabled with your banking or financial institutions, cybercriminals can put money into your account. Why is that bad, you ask? They’ll immediately follow up with a sob story email asking you to send it back via a phishing link, effectively stealing your login info in the process. Don’t click any random links, and turn on 2FA for your banking logins.
Ding-ding-ding! Sign up for text and email alerts from your bank. I do, and, yes, it’s a bit annoying to approve purchases I’ve made, but it’s also notified me a few times someone got their hands on my card. In your banking app, go into Settings and look for Alerts or Notifications.
This Twitter scam is a smart way to steal bank passwords - Don't fall for it
It was bound to happen sooner or later — social media platforms are monetizing membership by adding subscriptions for services you’re used to getting for free. Here’s what’s changing and how you can save your money.
New antivirus scam email spreading — Don't click!
You don’t expect antivirus software to spread malware, but it happens. Tap or click here for how this malware can eavesdrop on your calls using your phone’s motion sensors.
Phishing scams are also far too common. Maybe you get a receipt for AV software you never bought, or a marketing email that looks legitimate buts leads you to a bogus page ready to take your credit card info.
This phone scam fooled someone out of thousands of dollars
There are many ways for scammers to get their hands on your information and money. Text messages with malicious links are common, and some criminals use QR codes to harvest your data.
Others take a bit of a more hands-on approach, opting to call victims. These scammers can be persuasive, and it can be challenging to determine whether they are legitimate.
Work in one of these 10 fields? Scammers are targeting you
Scammers often have preferred targets. Whether a susceptible senior or someone who left their account exposed, they usually have the tools to rip them off.
But it’s not always about age or how tech-savvy you are. Sometimes working in a specific industry could put a target on your back.
Devious new malware steals your money, then wipes your phone
Malware has been around for years. While variants come in different levels of severity, they are extremely dangerous when targeting your smartphone.
Unlike Apple’s closed ecosystem, anybody can make an app for Android with few checks and balances. Unfortunately, it also leaves Android users vulnerable to malware, as hackers can easily bury malicious code in an application.
These 151 apps caught scamming millions of people
The Google Play Store for Android is stacked with applications for almost anything imaginable. Most of the apps are developed by programmers who want to make users’ lives easier or more enjoyable.
But then you have developers who want to cause misery and rip people off. Just because an application is available for download in the Google Play Store doesn’t mean that it’s harmless. Tap or click here to see how Apple made it easy to report App Store scams.
Is banking on your phone safe? 6 ways to make sure you're not scammed
Banking on your phone opens up a whole new world of convenience — as well as a new world of risks. Nowadays, you don’t have to drive down to your local bank branch to make a deposit. Instead, you can bank from the comfort of your home.
One mistake you make when you deposit checks using your phone
Banking is so much easier now than when I was a kid. I remember getting my first check and running to the bank and feeling that rush of joy when the clerk handed me my receipt. Nowadays the whole process is streamlined: Just open up your banking app, take a few photos of your check and you’re done.
5 best online banks and how to choose one
If you’re looking for a new bank account, you’re aware that you have a ton of choices in banks, credit unions, and other financial outlets. But are you aware that you also have a choice of online banks?
That’s right — in addition to your traditional brick and mortar banking institutions, there are virtual banks that do just about everything traditional banks can do. These online options offer deposit accounts, investment accounts, and other banking products, and there are often major perks to trading off in-person service for virtual help — and most, if not all, are FDIC-insured. RELATED: FBI warns crooks are targeting banking apps.
Tech how-to: Send money to friends and family using your phone
If you thought people weren’t using cash as often before the pandemic, imagine how little it’s being used now.
Long before the coronavirus spread, many of us had already made the switch from cash to card — and some people have taken it a step further and dropped cards altogether.