It’s easier than ever to copy a real human voice. Just think about all the harm that could cause. Scary stuff, folks. Pro tip: Set all your online accounts to private.
Your car is a target – Don’t get hacked or duped
Ever heard of wrapping your key fob in aluminum foil? It sounds a little crazy, but it’s a smart move. Your key fob’s signal is surprisingly easy for criminals to intercept using cheap scanners sold online. Thieves can open your car without setting off any alarms. If you have a true keyless car model, they might just drive away. Wrapping your fob in foil blocks the signals.
Scammers have even more tricks for targeting car owners and car buyers. Here are the newest ones spreading like wildfire.
The clever cloned VIN scam
A Boston woman paid around $40,000 for an SUV on Facebook Marketplace. The Carfax report looked legit, and Maril Bauter received a clean title from the licensing agency. It was smooth sailing for almost three years … until the police seized her vehicle.
As it turns out, when Bauter bought the 2019 Toyota 4Runner, it was stolen. She was the victim of a VIN-cloning scam.
It all starts with a stolen car or one totaled by an insurance company. The scammer finds the same make, model and year of that car and takes its VIN. It’s as easy as snapping a picture through the windshield.
The scammer then changes the VIN plate on the stolen or totaled vehicle to match the one on the clean vehicle. Now, the scammer can create fake documents and complete the sale.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to spot these scams. If you’re in the market and buying from a private seller:
- Use a site like Carfax or AutoCheck to look for anything strange with the VIN.
- Compare the VIN on the car (located near the windshield and in the door) with the title and all the other documents the seller provides.
- Look for signs the VIN plate has been switched. Run your finger over that area.
- Consider paying a mechanic or car inspection service to look for major issues or red flags.
Bauter’s story had a happy ending: Her insurance company paid out her claim on the stolen vehicle. That said, not every victim is this lucky, so be sure to do your due diligence if you’re in the market for a new vehicle.
Not the only car scam on Marketplace
An 18-year-old was arrested in Fort Lauderdale for posting his neighbors’ cars for rent on Facebook Marketplace. The scammer collected deposits and then sent renters to the car owners’ real addresses.
Pig-butchering scams cost Americans $4B a year – Don’t be a victim
Looking for love online? Keep your head on a swivel for pig-butchering scams.
Cybercrooks play the long game in this one. They “fatten you up” with lovey-dovey texts over months, and then, once they have your trust, they send you to slaughter with a crypto scam.
Amazon tribe got the internet for the first time
How did it turn out? For many men in the tribe, it led to addiction to social media and porn. More to this story in this short podcast.
Attention, campers and hikers: SpaceX is launching a backpack-sized Starlink Mini satellite antenna for $599. Monthly service is $150 with speeds over 100 Mbps. No, it’s not cheap, and you’re capped at 50GB per month, with extra data usage setting you back $1 for each gigabyte. FYI: Streaming a two-hour movie in 1080p eats 5GB to 8GB. But heck yeah, you have the internet wherever the path leads.
Steve Jobs started using the “i” prefix for Apple products with the iMac in 1998. Back then, the “i” stood for “internet.” What does it mean now?
500 pet photos
Just got beamed into space by NASA. They’re testing a fast, new data link between Earth and the International Space Station. The data travels at 1.2 gigabits per second, which is probably faster than your home internet. Don’t stop retrievin’!
Remote tribe gets internet access, immediate porn addiction
I’ve been to the Amazon and experienced its remote wonderland. I remember standing in a lush rainforest, in the warm, humid air, surrounded by the sounds of exotic birds. The people are wonderful and almost childlike in their trusting nature. But let me tell you, I still get chills thinking of the swarms of bullet ants that grow over an inch long, fishing for piranhas and avoiding tons of snakes.
7 free streaming TV platforms
I heard a stat the other day I had to share: The average U.S. household spends $61 per month on streaming TV. Plus, you still need to pay for cable or another way to get the internet.
We’re in the midst of a streaming arms race, and prices are only going up.
🛰️ Get cheaper Starlink internet: Folks in one of the 28 U.S. states with “extra capacity” can get SpaceX’s Starlink dish for $200 off ($299, plus shipping and tax) and $90 a month for internet. That’s a huge discount — the dish is regularly $499 and the service is normally around $120 a month. If you’re considering Starlink, jump on it now.
Major ISP hacked: Around 750,000 Frontier Internet customers had their info stolen in a ransomware attack. No financial data was grabbed, but the info does include full names, Social Security numbers, birthdays and home addresses — more than enough to steal your identity. If you use Frontier, put up your scam guard. Cybercriminals may have a boatload more info on you now.
🚨 Data held hostage by LockBit ransomware? Don’t negotiate with terrorists. The FBI is giving out 7,000 free decryption keys you can use to unlock your data without paying a ransom. If you’re affected, you’ll probably know it (i.e., you won’t be able to access files on your computer). Go to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center to snag your free key.
Play as you go: Uber wants to make your ride more fun. Hidden code in Uber’s latest iPhone app update hints at mini-games coming soon with data or an internet connection required. Why? It’s another way to serve you ads, of course.
He chose the psycho path: A 33-year-old Pennsylvania man was busted for burglary and stalking a woman he met online. After she dumped and blocked him, he went full creep, shutting off her power, messing with her internet and slapping a GPS tracker under her car. Cops arrested him, and he’s now being held on a $2 million bail. It’s got to be so scary dating now.
Remote Amazon tribe gets the internet
Nine months ago, the Marubo people got Starlink — now elders say everyone’s lazy and hooked on porn. Plus, Tokyo’s government launches a dating app, and remote job scams are on the rise.
Tomfoolery: Don’t waste your time falling for “Olympics Has Fallen,” a fake documentary narrated by a phony Tom Cruise. It’s actually Russian disinformation about the Paris Olympics, loaded with AI tricks and a Netflix soundalike intro. Creative, but there are tells throughout, with “Tom” using non-American lingo like “hockey match” instead of “hockey game.”
🦾 New term to know: Internet of Bodies. Like the Internet of Things (IoT), the IoB is an ecosystem of devices humans rely on to function (even partially), including internet access, AI and other tech. Smartwatches and the like are in the first category, followed by internal devices like smart prosthetics. The third IoB generation? Devices that completely merge with the body, like Elon Musk’s Neuralink brain chips. I swear, sci-fi movies are coming to life.
From the “I’m-from-the-government-and-I’m-here-to-help” department: Effective June 1, the federal internet subsidies that gave 20 million low-income U.S. families access to speedy internet are over. Here’s a list of providers offering discounted internet prices through the end of 2024.