China can monitor, censor, and cut off citizens online. Then, I help ‘Wicked Bradley’ take his paranormal YouTube channel to the next level. Plus, an 80-year-old wires $6,700 to a fake astronaut, ads on fridges, and insurance drones spy from above.
AI’s in the driver’s seat, and it’s drunk
ChatGPT
I just read a jaw-dropping research paper out of Cornell University that hasn’t hit the headlines anywhere yet. Welcome to our new world. Scammers are using AI photos to create fake car accidents.
I’m talking crash photos, damage reports, even fake driver’s licenses all crafted by AI in minutes. Fraudsters are submitting fake claims to insurance companies and getting paid out. The tech is so good, even humans and some AI detectors can’t tell what’s real and what’s not.
In the U.K., reports show insurance fraud using doctored photos has exploded 300% in one year. And here in the U.S., insurers are scrambling to catch up. Your claim could get flagged even if you’re honest.
🚗 Get the proof you need
Insurance companies are cracking down across the board. So here’s how to protect yourself.
✅ Right after an accident, get to work.
- Take lots of photos from every angle, close-ups and wide shots.
- Record a video walking around the scene. Narrate what happened.
- Include time stamps in your files or settings. This proves when it happened.
- Get witness names and phone numbers while they’re still around.
✅ Save everything.
- Back up your pics and videos to the cloud or email them to yourself.
- Keep repair estimates, police reports and messages with your insurer.
Pro tip: If your insurer offers a mobile app, use it. Many include built-in tools that attach time stamps and location data, uploading your files instantly.
🎥 A dashcam pays for itself the first time it saves you
Want ironclad evidence that protects you before questions start flying? Get a dashcam. It runs while you drive, and some record when you’re parked. Btw, dashcams make a great Christmas gift!
You might be yelling at a toaster
Bing Image Creator
Quick question: When’s the last time you really knew if you were chatting with a real human on a customer-service call? Turns out, in more places than you think, it’s not a person at all. It’s AI.
That might be fine when you’re asking a dumb question like, “What time do you close?” But what about when you’re dealing with a bank, insurance company or police report? Yeah, it matters.
🛞 Mad Max meets Model 3: Tesla dropped two new “self-driving” modes: Sloth (grandpa speed) and Mad Max (the one your insurance hates). No confirmed speeds yet, but “Mad Max” mode is made to accelerate and swerve through traffic “like a sports car.” The feds opened a preliminary investigation, I wonder why? Coming soon: Mario Kart Mode, bananas sold separately.
Why your car insurance hates you
ChatGPT
My car insurance jumped 32%. I didn’t crash. I didn’t speed. I simply exist.
Sound familiar? Full-coverage car insurance rates rose 25% on average last year, and in some states, it was closer to 40%. Overall, rates are up 55% since 2022.
How to freeze your credit and protect your identity
ChatGPT
First, look at the handy AI photo. If only, I’d be so good at multitasking. (lol)
“Hey, Kim, I just was notified that my personal data was part of the recent SimonMed data breach. My data’s already out there from another breach. Does it even matter anymore?” — Sara in Newport Beach, CA
🚨 Insurance info spill: Hackers dumped 150,000 American Income Life insurance records online. Names, emails, birthdays, even policy details, all out there in the wild. Normally this stuff gets sold quietly, but giving it away for free? That’s like handing out candy to every scammer in the neighborhood. Expect a wave of phishing, fake claims and identity theft soon.
🌲 Branches & Big Brother: Imagine getting an email saying your insurance policy is getting canceled because a drone you never saw took pics of your tree branches. That’s what happened to one Massachusetts woman. The company forced her to pay $1,200 to stay covered. Insurers are buying aerial shots, and lawmakers want limits before your roof becomes drone content.
Read this before you renew your car insurance
ChatGPT
You’ve probably seen this pitch from your insurance company: “Drive safely and save. Sign up for our smart driving program today!”
You’ve got a squeaky-clean record, so what’s the harm, right? Before you sign up, let’s pop the hood.
Why your insurance bill could suddenly soar
Identity theft insurance fraud is set to spike 49% by 2025 as scammers build synthetic identities. Laura, your AI host filling in for George, has all the details. Plus, fake Google reviews holding small businesses hostage, iPhone 17’s new security, Microsoft’s AI in File Explorer, Amazon’s AR glasses for drivers, and MIT’s telepathic wearable.
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?
Using AI at work? You’re liable
If your business uses AI for legal, medical, financial, or investment advice, you are fully liable for everything it generates. AI mistakes can cost you big, and insurance won’t cover it. Protect your company and share this warning with your team.
This data could raise your insurance rate
Your new car logs where you drive and how you brake. That data may go straight to insurance companies. Also: the viral app making Americans toss out food, why Apple Intelligence isn’t real yet, deepfakes faking heartbeats, and the $299 AI toilet camera.
Don’t just freeze, fight back
ChatGPT
Ashley in Washington asks:
“Kim, do I really need identity theft protection? I used to have LifeLock years ago and dumped it because they constantly were selling me other things. I heard you say on your radio show that you use NordProtect now. Why? How is any of this different than freezing your credit? Love your show and newsletter!”
Man marries AI, his wife's cool with it
George, your AI host, tells the true story of a man in love with an AI chatbot. What does this say about the future of relationships? Also: a tragic ChatGPT lawsuit, solo hacker attacks with Claude, disappearing Ford dashboards, YouTube vs. Fox, and AI-powered insurance appeals. AI isn’t going away anytime soon.
Denied? Not so fast: I’ve talked about insurance companies using AI to deny your coverage in literal seconds. If that happens to you, fight back using AI of your own. A free service called Counterforce Health writes appeal letters faster than you can say, “That’s not covered.” Here’s good proof that tech doesn’t have to mean soulless. You know, my puns are like health insurance. Some just can’t get it.
🚨 Farmers Insurance data breach: Hackers stole data on 1.1 million Farmers Insurance customers. They grabbed names, addresses, birth dates, driver’s license numbers and the last four digits of Social Security numbers, everything they need to steal your identity. Farmers is notifying people, but until then, keep an eye out for phishing scams. They’re coming.
New scam trick: Fake sites that look too good
Midjourney
Here’s the newest con in town: Scammers are using AI to clone legit websites, and they’re scary good at it. I’m talking about perfect logos, identical layouts, right down to the fonts and buttons.
The crazy part is that they spin these sites up in minutes. Then, they shove them to the top of Google, where you search for your bank, power company or even a government site. One wrong click, and boom, you’ve handed over your login, your info, your identity.
Their faces went viral without them: TikTok paid actors as little as $500 to license their faces for AI avatars (paywall link), which are now appearing in ads for horoscope apps, supplements and insurance quotes, even in other languages, sometimes on other platforms like YouTube. The actors don’t get royalties, can’t control the content and didn’t realize how far it would go. It was all in the fine print.
Why rich people swap homes (and how you can, too)
ChatGPT
Want to globe-trot like a baller but on a budget? Enter home swapping: the Airbnb alternative that doesn’t cost a mortgage payment per night. It’s just what it sounds like. You stay in someone’s house, they stay in yours, like Freaky Friday with better Wi-Fi.