Mark Lemoine left his $200K government job to start a campground with his wife, Karla. How’s it going for them? They made the right move — their campsite rakes in $1.2 million annually.
FBI warning: Crooks are using this new tech support scam
One of the most important parts of my job is making sure you know what criminals and cybercreeps are up to. Enough people fall for this junk — I don’t want you to be a victim, too.
The FBI is warning about tech support scams that robbed folks of a whopping $542 million in just the first half of 2023. It all starts with a notification that looks like it’s from your bank or even the government warning of a computer hack. You guessed it. They’re fake.
‘Trust me, I’m here to help’
The bad guys are running what’s known as “phantom hacker” scams. The target? Often older adults. The aim? To get them to empty their bank accounts. It’s a wicked twist on a tech support scam that’s been around for a while, where you get a pop-up warning your machine has been hacked.
Scammers are no longer just pretending to be tech support agents. They’re impersonating bank officials or government agents to gain your trust.
It goes like this
You get a call from someone who supposedly works for your bank. They claim a hacker from a foreign country is all over your account. Yikes! Then they say, “Hey, move your money to this ‘safe’ government account.” But — spoiler alert — it’s the scammer’s account.
Just how successful is this scam? The FBI has reported 19,000 complaints related to tech support scams in just the first half of the year — amounting to that $542 million I mentioned before. Almost half of those victims were over 60.
So, what can you do? Here’s your action plan:
- Stay skeptical: If you get an unexpected email, text or pop-up warning about a computer breach, take a deep breath. It’s probably a scam.
- Check the source: Verify the message with the bank or agency directly before acting. Use a known phone number or website, not what’s given in the suspicious message.
- Never wire money: The U.S. government won’t ask you to wire money to foreign accounts or buy gift cards. That’s a scammer move every time.
👉 One final step: Let the FBI know if you’ve been duped. File a report here. If it happened to you, it happened to someone else. The more info the good guys have to go on, the more likely they are to catch the bad guys. I spoke with the head of the FBI and he assured me they read every complaint.
Calling all landlubbers: Free … lighthouses?
Enjoy gorgeous 360-degree views. Fall asleep to the sound of waves crashing. Start the morning with a cup of coffee and a fresh ocean breeze.
All that could be yours for free if you’re willing to maintain a historic lighthouse. Thanks to GPS, lighthouses aren’t necessary for navigation like they once were. The U.S. government is hunting for groups to take over six of these historic local landmarks.
💊 Who’s in your doc’s pocket? Worried your doctor might not be giving you impartial advice because they’re getting paid by Big Pharma? Look up your doc in this government database (U.S. only) and see which companies are giving them money. That includes celebrity docs, too!
Bonus episode: The Kim Komando Show, April 6
Is it the end of the world? Rumors fly online about the solar eclipse — I’ll tell you what’s fact and fiction. Also, the government filmed an Army vet’s front porch for 68 days. Plus, Silicon Valley icon Guy Kawasaki talks about his new book, “Think Remarkable.”
Apple’s iPhone spyware problem is worsening: Attacks mostly against journalists, activists and government representatives have been reported in over 150 countries. Common red flags: Faster-than-usual battery drainage, high data usage and unexpected shutdowns. If you’re a journalist or activist, or if you work for the government, turn on Lockdown mode.
$225,000 plus travel
How much a 27-year-old government contractor made in a year. That year, though, she worked 92 hours a week in Taiwan. Ouch. Fascinating read.
Latest shopping scam: Using 'Shark Tank' to trick you into thinking something is legit
You might not know it, but not all celebrity endorsements are legitimate. Scammers often use false claims or a well-known person’s image in advertising to create the illusion of association. This happens without the knowledge of the celebrity.
Looking for free COVID tests? Don't do this
Life is almost back to normal after a rough couple of years dealing with a global pandemic. At-home COVID tests became a must-have item to navigate the crisis. While there are legit ways to get these tests for free, scammers are now cashing in with elaborate phishing schemes. Things are so bad that the Better Business Bureau is sounding the alarm.
Why does the government sell a $1K jar of peanut butter?
There’s a government warehouse that stores just about everything you could imagine — vitamins, “domestic sludge,” a standard bullet and even a jar of peanut butter that sells for about 200 times the going grocery store rate. It even maintains a cybersecurity database with all known software vulnerabilities. You’ll find all this at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. So, what is going on?
💻 That’s cray-cray: The U.S. government is auctioning off a decommissioned Cheyenne supercomputer. This 145,152-core rig was once used for scientific research and ranked as the 20th most powerful in the world in 2016. The current bid at the time I wrote this was $100,000, and the auction closes on May 5, if you’re in the market. But beware: There are issues with its cooling system.
Bonus episode: The Kim Komando Show, March 23
The U.S. government is suing Apple and Glassdoor’s reviews aren’t anonymous after all. And Jim calls to ask if he can trust a nice woman online who is pushing crypto. Spoiler: No!
What you will pay for the government's war against EVs
Just 7% of the cars sold last year were electric. Find out why EVs just aren’t selling.
Spy satellites are watching you
Yep, they’re not just looking at the the military — we’ve got the details. Plus, a massive cellular outage across the U.S., Google pauses Gemini’s image generator after a blunder and an Oklahoma man hacks a government auction website.
How a hacker made $2 million
Tommy DeVoss has exploited over 10,000 of companies — Yahoo, Uber and even the US government. After facing prison, he’s turned his life around.
Why you should avoid crypto and other cyber currency
Is the crypto craze losing steam amid rising scams and government regulations? I have the inside scoop in this 60-second podcast.
The Chinese communist government issues a personal warning to Elon Musk
Why does China care if Elon Musk shares a Covid-19 lab leak story? Here’s what you should know, in 60 seconds.
Traffic cameras can now ticket you for having a loud car
You know you’re under surveillance at the airport, in a bank or federal building, but watchful eyes extend far beyond that. Depending on where you live, the government could be keeping tabs on you from the moment you leave home. Tap or click here for the top 10 most surveilled cities in the U.S.
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.