That cheap TV streaming box could open the door to Chinese hackers. Plus, Google’s AI-only search mode and a modern Monopoly makeover. I also talk to Michael from Texas. He survived a plane crash in Kentucky and used an old cell phone to call 911.
How I stopped scammers cold
ChatGPT
“Kim, Lifelock has gotten so expensive. Do I even need it?” — Matt in Texas
I’ve been hearing this a lot, Matt. I agree, LifeLock is pricey. My bill was $239.88 a year. Now, I’m paying $62.64 a year, that’s a 74% savings! More about that later.
Yes, you really need a service to protect your identity, more so than ever before. Number one, there have been so many data breaches, just assume the scammers and thieves have all your personal data.
Add to that today’s AI tools make it super easy for someone to create fake documents, clone your voice and put you talking in a video.
No red flags
Throw away your assumptions that you’d somehow “know” if someone stole your identity. No sirens go off. You don’t get a text from a hacker whispering, “Gotcha.”
In reality, identity theft often happens in total silence every five seconds.
Like the retiree in Florida who lost $14,000 when a thief opened a credit card in his name and drained his credit line before the bill even showed up.
Then there’s Susan, who got a collection call for a $36,000 car loan she never took out. A thief used her name and driver’s license to snag a new SUV.
Another woman had $18,000 in loans taken out using her name. She never got an alert. Not from her bank, not from her credit monitoring service.
The dark side
You find out only when you try to do something boring, like apply for a loan, get a job or file taxes. By then, you’re already in financial Hunger Games with your name attached to debt, crimes or worse.
🖨️ Oh, Brother! Millions of Brother printers have default passwords that hackers can reverse-engineer using the serial number. Brother can’t fully fix it via firmware. For the love of toner, change the admin password so your printer doesn’t get hacked.
Over 225 billion
The number of cyberattacks Cloudflare sees every single day. The twist? One of the biggest targets is gamers. Hackers love snatching accounts, changing the login details and reselling them. So give your kid a heads-up: Phishing emails are scammers’ favorite move. If a link says “free loot,” it’s a trap.
Protect your data! I trust TotalAV to guard against viruses, ransomware and hackers in real time. It’s powerful, simple and just $19 for the first year. Stay safe online with TotalAV today.
Wi-Fi master: Angry IP Scanner keeps track of everything connected to your network. It scans for IP addresses and other information about the devices connected. It helps troubleshoot tech issues and catch hackers or moochers since it pinpoints unknown or suspicious devices.
🪞 Deepfake boss attack: A crypto employee thought they were on a Zoom call with their company’s C-suite. Turns out it was North Korean hackers deepfaking the entire leadership team. That “Zoom extension” they asked you to download? Straight malware on macOS. Someone out there is cosplaying your manager to steal your crypto and mess with your M1 chip.
📞 Hackers love call centers: They’re bribing low-paid call center workers to bypass security (paywall link) and loot crypto wallets. Coinbase alone may be out $400 million. All it took was screenshots, Chrome bugs and $2,500 Venmo bribes.
Aflac breach gets messy: Hackers cracked into Aflac’s system using social engineering tricks, possibly swiping health data, SSNs and more. No ransomware dropped, but still, duck insurance just got real personal, in the bad way. Keep an eye on your inbox (and your identity).
Hackers don’t wait, why should you? I’ve said it for years, viruses attack fast. That’s why I trust TotalAV. Rock-solid protection on up to five devices. Only $19 for the first year. Smart, simple, and it works!
📞 Hacker hang-up: Hackers leaked 64 million T-Mobile customer records. The data has real names, phone numbers, cookie IDs (the whole privacy piñata), but T-Mobile says it’s “not our circus, not our monkeys.” Maybe this leak needs to go on Maury: “You are NOT the data parent!”
Got an old Cloud Cam? Unplug it ASAP. Amazon shut down app support in 2022. If it’s still connected to the internet, hackers could break in and spy on you at home. The worst part? There’s no word yet how long this has been a risk. Appreciate the notice, Amazon … really.
🚨 Fake crypto apps will make you cry: Again, this happened. Over 20 were found posing as popular wallets like SushiSwap, PancakeSwap and more. They asked folks to enter their 12-word mnemonic phrase, which could give hackers full access to their crypto. PSA: App icons can be deceiving; make sure the dev is verified and always double-check those reviews.
🚨 Cyberattack hits major food supplier: Might want to stock up on your favorites now. United Natural Foods says hackers got into their systems, so they’ve shut down parts of the network. This means delays with order fulfillment and distribution. FYI: They supply products to over 30,000 stores, including Whole Foods. This one could cause some serious ripple effects.
🚨 AT&T data leak: Hackers just exposed 86 million customer records, including names, phone numbers, emails and addresses. Worse? Nearly 44 million Social Security numbers were leaked in plain text. That’s prime info for scammers and identity theft. PSA: Stay alert for phishing attempts and keep a close eye on your accounts, folks.
Are you living with a cyberweapon?
The FBI warns that outdated routers make easy targets for foreign hackers. Here are the warning signs.
🪥 No floss can fix stupid: A top U.S. dental marketing firm accidentally exposed 8.8 million appointment records and 2.7 million patient profiles online: names, emails, birth dates, billing info, all just sitting in the open. Hackers didn’t even have to lift a finger. Be sure to keep an eye on your Explanation of Benefit records.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Bookmark your bank’s login page. Hackers create look-alike sites to trick you. Using a saved, official bookmark sidesteps typos that lead to phishing traps.
🍪 93.7 billion cookies for sale: And nope, not the Girl Scouts kind. Hackers are selling browser cookies on the dark web, so they can access your accounts with no login needed. How’d they get them? Infostealer malware from shady downloads. Be careful what you click.
Too good to be true: Hackers are tricking people into downloading “premium AI tools” that are actually malware. Some freeze your PC. Others steal logins. One claims it’s helping humanitarian causes. Classic hacker gaslight. If an AI app offers unicorn features for free, it’s probably there to eat your bank account.