TikTok ban, top holiday scams, tax update alert

December 20, 2022

Plus, what to do when locked out of your Facebook account, get weather alerts on your phone, Twitter’s office supply fire sale, Zoom holiday party ideas and how a new gift card scam steals your cash with barcode stickers. Also, would you get plastic surgery to look like an AI image? Surgeons say they’re getting these disturbing requests.

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If you got paid more than $600 through PayPal or Venmo this year, you might get a tax form

We’re here with a friendly reminder that the government can and will tax you on your PayPal or Venmo transactions if they are over a certain amount. We told you earlier this year about the American Rescue Plan. Tap or click here for more details.

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Science video: How machines learn

Artificial intelligence seems to be all around us nowadays. AI can help you pick a movie to watch, make companies more money and even write a college essay. But how does AI learn? It’s all about teaching bots to teach other bots.

Suspect someone is spying on your texts and apps? Do this now

Pretty much everything you do online is tracked or recorded and used to create a database on you. Most companies claim they need this information to serve you with targeted ads, while others sell it.

Your iPhone has built-in privacy and security settings you should look at. You can browse privately, stop third-party tracking, filter messages from strangers and more. Tap or click here for five iPhone security settings you need to change now.

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Turn on this smart security setting to protect your phone backups from hackers

You should always have a backup of precious photos and essential personal files. It would be best to back up your mobile phone before upgrading its operating system, so you don’t lose anything important. Tap or click for three things to look for in a cloud backup.

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Use TikTok? Take this one step now or they might be tracking you

With Twitter dominating the social media headlines recently, problems with TikTok seem to be an afterthought. But the platform has too many issues to ignore. Tap or click here to find out how TikTok can record what you type.

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Sending or storing naked pictures? You might be breaking the law

People search sites scour public records to get information on you. This includes your full name, address, phone number, family history, police records, relationships, employment information and more. Tap or click here for instructions on removing your information from these invasive sites.

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Online order never arrived? Here's what to do

Christmas is almost here, and millions of people are still trying to get their gifts delivered in time. You might have decided to pay the expedited delivery fee to get your package faster, but things don’t always go according to plan. Tap or click here for delivery scams making the rounds.

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Paying too much for your cell phone every month? Do this

Think about just how much you rely on your phone this time of year. You call and text loved ones, you look up gift ideas and shop online, and your favorite map app gets you where you need to go.

That’s why I love T-Mobile and am proud to say they’re a sponsor of my national radio show. T-Mobile has America’s largest, fastest and most reliable 5G network.

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Here's why people are receiving empty packages in the mail (Yes, it's a scam)

There have been several instances where people received a notification of a delivery that couldn’t be completed. Under normal circumstances, it could be legitimate, but these messages turned out to be fake.

Those delivery scams are designed to rip you off by claiming you need to hand over information to complete a delivery. But there’s a clever new technique that crooks are using you need to know about. In this one, you receive a package, but its content will leave you wondering what’s happening.

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Use this site to score 4 free COVID tests

With so much happening worldwide, you don’t hear as much about the spread of COVID-19 anymore. That doesn’t mean it’s not still out there. It is.

Making matters worse, fake at-home tests have been flooding the market. Aside from getting ripped off, a false reading may prevent you from seeking treatment. The FDA issued a warning on a specific at-home drug test resembling an authorized kit. Tap or click here for the warning signs an at-home test is fake.

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