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It’s not just bogus calls and emails
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Imagine getting a call from what looks like your bank’s number, warning you about suspicious activity on your account. The caller knows just enough to make you trust them. It’s all a lie, and you’re screwed if you don’t realize that soon enough.
Kay in Virginia didn’t, and the 80-year-old lost her life savings — tens of thousands of dollars drained from her Wells Fargo account from one phone call. Another woman just lost $56,000 to the same kind of scheme.
Cybercriminals are pros at making their tricks feel real, and their methods are constantly evolving. It’s not just calls. Here’s a breakdown of common scams they’re using right now and how to stay protected.
Fake banking apps
Scammers create counterfeit versions of popular banking apps, complete with realistic logos and interfaces. They send you the link, and you download it, thinking it’s the official version. Once you log in, they steal your credentials.
✅ Stay safe: Always download apps directly from your bank’s official website or the app store. If there’s a suspiciously low number of downloads or reviews, move on.
Phony bank emails with verified logos
AI tools make it a breeze to create convincing emails with verified sender logos and signatures. These emails may even mimic your bank’s official communications. One such email fooled a woman in Cleveland out of $23,000 in just a few hours.
✅ Stay safe: If you’re ever unsure about an email, don’t click anything in it. Log in directly through your bank’s website, or call the number on the back of your card.
One-time passcode theft
This scam is especially sneaky. You receive a legitimate one-time passcode sent to your phone and are tricked into sharing it. Once you do, scammers can drain your account.
✅ Stay safe: Your bank will never ask for these codes. If you receive one you didn’t request, it could mean someone is trying to hack your account. Contact your bank immediately.
Someone always thanks me for this shortcut: You probably already use Ctrl/Cmd + V to paste. Try Ctrl + Shift + V on PC or Option + Cmd + Shift + V on Mac to paste text without the formatting.
😶 Secret button in your Windows 10 and 11 taskbar: Clicking it will minimize everything you have open. It’s located in the bottom right corner of your screen, past the time and notification icon — a tiny sliver. Click it again to bring your stuff back. Good one!
Small-biz smarts: When you have contracts with different companies and vendors, you’ll never remember those dates. Create a shared work calendar that gives everyone who needs it notice when a contract is renewing. Pro tip: Build in time in case you have a 30- or 90-day out.
💡 AI trick of the day: “Priming” is the insider term for telling a chatbot exactly what you want from it. With ChatGPT or any other, the more constraints you give, the better your answer. Examples: “Limit your response to 250 words,” “Give me the list in bullet points” and “Format the results as a table.”
Check your 401(k): A whopping one in five Americans has an inactive 401(k) account. The average value? $55,400! If you left a job and never dealt with your account, call your former human resources department and ask if you have an inactive account. You can also try this site.Stop hackers in their tracks: EndpointLock encrypts your keystrokes when you enter usernames, account numbers and passwords so no one can copy and steal them. It’s genius, really. Hit this link for 10% off.
Windows upgrade: Setting up multiple desktop profiles means you can keep life, work, vacation and your hobbies separate. To make them easy to navigate, customize each. Now you know blue is for work, yellow is for home stuff and orange is for DIY projects.
MacBook battery widget: It’ll regularly remind you how much juice is left in your laptop. On your Mac, click the date and time in the top right corner. In the notification center pop-up, click Edit Widgets. Search for “batteries” and pick your favorite options.
Do it in style: Easily change your text formatting by holding down Ctrl + B for bold, Ctrl + I for italics and Ctrl + U for underlining. Pro tip: Hit Shift + X for strikethrough text, Shift + . (period) to superscript something and Shift + , (comma) for subscription.
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🎵 Work hack? Studies show surgeons work faster and more accurately when listening to classical music. For those of us not in the operating room, the best tunes are any that put you in a better mood. The most popular songs on work-related Spotify lists are Train’s “Drops of Jupiter,” “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac and “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey. I hear you humming!
Apple Music trick: Instead of the fullscreen program, try the mini player on your Mac. With Apple Music open, hit Window > Switch to Mini Player. Want it to show all the time? Go to Music > Settings > Advanced and check the box to keep it as the top window.
I order supplements online: They’re more affordable that way and I never run out. On my daily list: Collagen. Hit this link for 45% off NativePath. Their collagen mixes into coffee and smoothies, and it’s great for your joints and recovery.
💻 Kids having tech tantrums? You’re not alone. A 12-week study points to three winning strategies: 1.) Tell kids how much screen time they have, 2.) Involve kids in activities inspired by their favorite shows, and 3.) Let kids decide on the duration of their screen time. Been there, done that. Good luck!
Use YouTube Premium? Buy through an iPhone or iPad, and it’s $18.99 per month. On the YouTube website, it’s $13.99 monthly. Yeah, cancel through your phone and buy it again.
It only takes a minute: Time to update all your devices. There are too many scary bugs out there to skip security patches. On a Windows PC, head to Settings > Windows Update. On a Mac, go to General > Software Update. Using an Android? Tap to Settings > System > Software. And for iPhones, you’ll find updates under Settings > General > Software Update.
🤖 AI tool of the day: Google’s NotebookLM lets you upload audio files, notes, documents or anything else, then search them, find citations (from your own docs) or produce a snazzy podcast you can listen to. It’s impressive. Reader Bob told me after he heard about it on my show, he used it to create training modules for his employees.
Please stop: On Reddit, you can opt out of political and religious ads. Log in from the app or your desktop, then head to this preferences page.
Hackers and scammers don’t want you to use EndpointLock: It stops them from capturing your keystrokes when you enter your user names, account numbers and passwords. If you bank on your phone or do anything else confidential, you need this. Hit this link for 10% off.