You know how it goes, the second you actually need to make a call with your phone, the signal tanks. Don’t panic. I’ve got fast fixes.
Identity thieves are coming for your insurance
Midjourney
I was shocked by this stat the other day. The National Insurance Crime Bureau says identity theft–driven insurance fraud is projected to spike 49% by the end of 2025.
Really, insurance fraud?
You see, identity theft isn’t just about someone opening a store credit card or taking a car loan out in your name anymore. Criminals are using stolen info to pull off insurance fraud to quietly file bogus claims that will jack up your premiums and deny you future coverage.
🪪 They’re not amateurs
These scammers are building synthetic identities. Think people made from a mix of real info (like your Social Security number) and fake details. Then they use those ghost identities to buy policies and file false claims to collect the money.
Let me break it down:
- In Iowa, an insurance adjuster allegedly forged clients’ signatures to reroute settlement checks to himself.
- In Texas, a man used his ex-wife’s identity to open an auto policy and pocket all the payouts.
- And NICB warns that synthetic IDs are now being used to file fake life insurance and medical claims that can sit undetected for years. Wow.
🚨 So what if it’s not ‘you’?
Here’s the part no one tells you: Even if the fraud isn’t in your name, it can still come back to bite you.
If someone builds a synthetic ID with your SSN or address, insurance companies may flag you as high risk, especially if there are multiple claims tied to your data. That means higher premiums, denied coverage or even getting dropped altogether.
Trying to untangle that mess? It can take months of fighting with insurers, credit bureaus and law enforcement. In the meantime, you’re stuck with the consequences. This kind of fraud is quiet, invisible and devastating if you don’t catch it early.
That’s why I use NordProtect, a sponsor of my radio show. It monitors your personal info (Social Security number, email, phone number, address, etc.) and watches for signs it’s being used to open insurance policies, take out loans or commit fraud. If something shady pops up, you’re alerted immediately, and Nord guides you through shutting it down fast.
Why you should not use WhatsApp
ChatGPT
“Kim, I heard the call with the man who lost $60,000 in a crypto scam. You said anytime someone wants to move the conversation to WhatsApp, it’s a scam. Why is that?” — Dennis in Washington
Thanks for the question, Dennis. I’m glad you heard that call. Heartbreaking. And unfortunately, it’s not rare. When someone says, “Let’s move this conversation to WhatsApp,” it’s almost always the beginning of a scam.
🏙️ Open fraud plan: What do you do when you can’t afford the $2K monthly rent? If you’re like some renters, you might get “creative” with your pay stubs. The wild part? Influencers are selling “rental packages” (paywall link) with fake pay stubs, fake jobs, fake everything. Landlords say it’s so bad, half the apps in some buildings are made up.
💳 AI joins accounting’s dark side: Looks like AI’s taking up “creative accounting” as a side hustle. Expense software firms are catching a wave of AI-generated fake receipts, saying fakes make up 14% of all fraud attempts, complete with logos, bogus signatures and even wrinkles in the paper. CFOs are sweating, and expense apps are, get this, using AI to fight AI.
🛰️ Starlink’s scam shutdown: After months of heat, SpaceX says it finally disabled over 2,000 Starlink kits in Myanmar that scammers were using for massive fraud and trafficking rings. Local governments raided one site and found dozens of Starlink dishes running cybercrime ops. Wild how crypto and romance scammers had better broadband than most small towns.
🩻 Ransomware meets radiology: Hackers hit one of the largest U.S. radiology chains, SimonMed Imaging, exposing data from 1.2 million patients. The Medusa ransomware gang claims it stole 212 GB, including scans, IDs and payment info. SimonMed says no fraud yet, which feels about as comforting as “it’s just a sprain” before you see the X-ray bill.
Protect your equity: In Phoenix, scammers forged ownership papers and sold a home for $200K, all without the real owners knowing. They only found out when the fake deed hit public records. This isn’t a movie plot, and it could happen to you. Home Title Lock’s signature TripleLock™ protection safeguards your home from fraud. Start with 14 days FREE and a free Title History Report.
⚠️ Are you protected? I don’t take chances with my identity. NordProtect monitors my info and credit, alerting me instantly if something’s off. It’s like a digital bodyguard, for just $5.22/month. That’s less than a fancy cup of coffee. It even includes ID theft recovery and fraud protection at no extra cost. Perfect.
Musk made me do it: Look, if “Elon Musk” messages you about a hot crypto deal, it’s fraud not fate. Scammers are out there pretending to be him, using fake videos, livestreams and even his mom to vouch for the hustle. Folks have lost anywhere from 10 grand to a quarter million dollars. Some even think they’re dating him. Spoiler: You’re not.
🚨 Scam syndicate exposed: As I’ve mentioned before, many scammers targeting older Americans are run by huge crime families operating out of Myanmar and Southeast Asia. A Chinese court just sentenced 11 members to death after busting a mafia “fraud factory.” Holy cow, that’s hardcore. Americans lost over $10 billion in 2024 to Southeast Asia-based scams alone. This may put a dent in their operations, but you have to keep your guard up, always.
📩 He was supposed to help: A U.S. postal fraud inspector, the very person meant to protect elderly scam victims, allegedly stole over $330,000 from them instead. He rerouted packages meant for evidence and used the cash for cruises, escorts and home renovations. Investigators say he even tried to cover his tracks by laundering the money through family members. There’s a special place for people like this; hopefully, it’s a prison cell with some great roommates.
Ignore this text, get fined
California is actually sending real text messages to collect unpaid tolls, even after federal warnings about scam texts and millions lost to fraud. One woman ignored the message, thinking it was fake. Big mistake.
⚠️ Crypto vultures circling: The FBI says scammers are dressing up as lawyers to target people already burned by crypto fraud. They dangle “fund recovery” promises, then demand up-front crypto or gift cards. Victims get dumped into staged WhatsApp groups with fake bankers before losing even more money. These guys make MLMs look like charity work.
📬 First-class felony: Here’s your daily dose of “oof!” news. In 2022, Paychex sent Dylan Handy’s $114K 401(k) rollover via mailed checks. Thieves intercepted them, cashed them, and now he might owe taxes on stolen funds. Forty-three percent of rollovers still use paper checks. Skip the delays and fraud risk. Choose direct transfers.
🔍 Tour de Fraud? Cycling officials are now X-raying sweaty bikes for secret motors. Tadej Pogacar’s winning ride once got flagged, alongside seven others. Mechanical doping (like riding a stealth-mode eBike) is the new fear (paywall link). One guy’s whole job is catching battery-powered frauds at the finish line. What happened to good old-fashioned steroids?
🕳️ Divine rug pull: A Denver pastor and his wife convinced their church to invest $3.4M into a holy crypto scheme allegedly blessed by God. Spoiler: God did not 10x those returns. Now they’re facing 40 felony charges, including racketeering and securities fraud, and the coin is worth about as much as one prayer in the blockchain void.
🗣️ Prove you’re a human: OpenAI’s Sam Altman warned the Fed that we’re teetering on a “fraud crisis” due to AI tools that can impersonate you, your voice or your kid’s. AI fakes are calling parents and diplomats. The White House is prepping an “AI Action Plan.” Altman pitched The Orb for human verification. I told you all about this months ago.
🧠 Fight bots with bots: Getting fake iPhone charge alerts? Sketchy emails pretending to be PayPal? You’re not alone. The good news: PayPal’s new fraud-detecting AI is watching for this stuff in real time, and it’s getting freakishly good at it. Remember, it won’t catch all the scams though.
GoFundMe isn’t always trustworthy
Scammers are hijacking tragedies on GoFundMe, and your donations may be going to fraud. Think twice before you give.