You think the internet is a scary place for kids? It’s about to get worse. Big Tech’s latest “solution” to protect children could be even more dangerous than the problem.
Ask Kim: 'Is my new online friend tricking me?'
I got a call from Jim in Sacramento about a new friend he met on Facebook. She messaged him out of the blue and they hit it off (just friends, he’s married). Now, she’s introduced him to her aunt, who happens to be great with crypto.
“The aunt showed me three trades where I made 15% with a $500 investment in 10 minutes while I watched on WhatsApp. I have lost no money at this point. Before I give the aunt $10,000, I wanted to know your thoughts.”
I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news
This is a classic pig-butchering scam. I know it all seems like things just fell into place, and that’s the point.
How am I so sure? What’s happening here is following the exact script these criminals use. I’ll outline it for you.
- Cold outreach: It starts with a random text, friend request, DM or comment. They’re friendly and chatty.
- Feeding time: They want to know about your life, maybe send you photos and tell you about what they’re in. After a while, money comes up. It’s usually under the guise of an investment opportunity.
- Fattening the pig: This is where money changes hands — but only a tiny amount. They’ll ask you to test with a small investment. Surprise, your money is growing already!
- Slaughter: Now you’re convinced and have invested even more. At this stage, victims can be in for tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. You may realize something is wrong and ask to remove your money. It’s way too late.
Jim, you’re the pig, and you’re getting greedy. Keep it up, and you will be slaughtered.
🚩 Red flag 1: A random woman messaged you out of nowhere and wanted to be friends. Sorry, but that never ends well.
🚩 Red flag 2: This stranger just happens to have a relative who has made it big in crypto. Who shares that with someone they just met? I wouldn’t.
🚩 Red flag 3: The initial investment went gangbusters.
You need to walk away. Document everything first, though. Take screenshots of your conversations, the websites these people have directed you to, bank statements, all of it. This is important evidence if you try to get your cash back and everything hits the fan.
Then, it’s time to unfriend and block your new pal.
A dangerous Google Chrome scam: It’s planting malware that starts with a pop-up when you try to open a webpage or document. It’ll then tell you to copy and paste text into Windows PowerShell. No, don’t do this. Time to add a trusted ad blocker to your browser to avoid this scam and the thousands of others that get you the same way.
Every 13 miles
How often Tesla’s Full Self-Driving mode requires human intervention. In a 1,000-mile test, drivers had to intervene to prevent dangerous behavior more than 75 times. The good: Self-driving mode brakes for pedestrians and lets oncoming cars through. The bad: It also runs red lights and drives into oncoming traffic. Just say no.
400,000 products
On Amazon could put your life in danger. The U.S. government now says Amazon is responsible for dangerous products sold on its platform, including faulty carbon monoxide detectors and flammable kids’ PJs, and it has to inform you if you’ve bought one. Shocker, Amazon’s already appealing.
Stop annoying political texts
Cyber crooks are hiding behind legitimate-looking political messages to lead you to dangerous websites. I also get into online job scams, five signs your phone might be tapped, and how to rent a pool for your summer vacation.
The post office delivery scam
Did you get a text about a package from the post office or FedEx? Stop and think. This message could be a dangerous scam.
280 million
Chrome users who have installed shady extensions in the past three years. These extensions included malware and often asked for advanced permissions during installation. On average, dangerous extensions stayed in the Chrome store for over a year before getting the boot. Good job there, Google.
🏥 Deadly hospital hack: The fallout from last month’s cyberattack on the Ascension hospital network is still unfolding. One woman went into cardiac arrest and died when lab results crucial for her treatment were delayed. In another case, a nurse nearly gave a baby a dangerous dose of narcotics because of confusing paperwork. Horrifying. Save your health records as a PDF now. Here’s how.
1 in 7 searches
Now show Google’s AI Overview results. They backed way, way off after all the drama around bad, dangerous or just plain dumb answers. Still, I’d take what you read there with a grain of salt.
⚠️ Toyota and Lexus recall: Over 100,000 Tundra trucks and Lexus cars (model years 2022 and 2023) are crash risks. Dangerous machine debris might’ve been left in the engines. Toyota will reach out to owners by the end of July, or you can be proactive and pop your registration number into this dedicated page. Yup, it’s a double on Tundra.
News from X: This is what happens when you buy a company for $44 billion that’s now worth $12 billion — advertisers leave and no one wants to pay $8 a month for a dumb blue checkmark. X is now officially open to adult content, whether it’s AI-generated, photographic or animated. The rules? It must be “consensually produced and distributed,” labeled, and kept out of profile pics and banners. Maybe they’ll change the name to “XXX.”
Not shocked: Google’s AI-generated search results are dishing out some dangerous nonsense. When asked about “cheese not sticking to pizza,” the AI suggested adding glue to the sauce. It also responded to “health benefits of tobacco for tweens” with increased alertness, euphoria and relaxation. Uh‑oh.
🌪️ Going out for a spin: Travelers are shelling out big bucks to chase dangerous storms in “Tornado Alley,” which stretches through the central U.S. and into the Canadian Prairies. For $2,000 to $4,500 per trip, tour guides bring folks as close as safely possible to hail the size of baseballs and winds that can sweep you off your feet. Yes, you’ve got to sign a waiver.
Ex-con man Frank Abagnale on AI
He’s one of the most famous imposters ever. Now, he says, artificial intelligence is going to bring on a whole new wave of scams. Plus, a dangerous selfie fail, social media sperm donors, and robberies on Facebook Marketplace.
The most dangerous PIN numbers
Think for a minute about your PIN. If you’re still using these numbers, it’s time to make a change.
ChatGTO-4o: Alluring, charming, and dangerous
Thanks to OpenAI, the movie “Her” is becoming a reality. Here’s what you need to know.
Why the overhyped solar flare story is dangerous
If you caught last week’s solar flare coverage, it was full of alarmist hype. Here’s my take on it.
😤 Dangerous oversight: A heartbreaking 15 folks have died after ingesting sodium nitrate, listed on Amazon as a food preservative. It’s safe at low concentrations, but it was sold at 99% purity. Now, the victims’ families are suing, saying Amazon ignored warnings, deleted bad reviews and nudged customers to buy. Amazon’s defense? It says it’s not liable for how customers use its products.
Check your laundry room: Procter & Gamble is recalling 8.2 million bags of laundry pods made by Tide, Gain, Ace and Ariel from Sept. 2023 to Feb. 2024. A packaging flaw could let the bags split open near the zipper, exposing dangerous chemicals to kids. If you’ve got ’em, return ’em!