🛰️ Bound to happen, lunar or later: Starlink’s new plan to stop scalpers from buying their cheaper satellites and hawking them elsewhere? An “outside region fee.” If you buy a satellite internet kit (standard or mini) from one region and activate it in another, expect an extra charge of up to $300.
Starlink is powering a new wave of pig-butchering scams
Pig-butchering scams are getting more sophisticated — and more costly — by the day. One report found criminals have swindled an estimated $75 billion from victims. And just recently, a criminal organization in Asia was taken down, adding another $46 million to that tally.
I’m sad to say I’ve talked to lots of pig-butchering victims. One guy called my show because a woman DMed him on Facebook about a crypto investment. He gave her money and did not want to believe me when I told him he was being set up for “slaughter.”
No surprise, AI is making these crimes a lot easier to pull off. I’ve got the scoop on the latest tricks so you don’t fall for them.
The missing link
Pig-butchering scams rely on a formula. It starts all lovey-dovey with promises of quick riches over the course of months to “fatten you up.” Then, once they have your trust, they send you to “slaughter” with a crypto or other financial scam.
In the past, these scammers would say no to video chats so you didn’t know your new “girlfriend” or mysterious financial advisor is really a network of clever criminals. Now, they have deepfake software good enough to face-swap in real time. With just a click, the person on the other end of your video chat can change their appearance and “prove” they’re who they claim they are.
These scams, though, won’t work without a strong internet connection. That’s hard to come by in many of the countries where pig-butchering schemes originate. To solve that problem, crooks are buying Starlink satellite dishes.
The U.N. reports 80 Starlink satellite units were seized in Southeast Asia between April and June of this year. Thai police rounded up 58 devices in June alone. In another bust, law enforcement picked up 10 Starlink satellites and almost 5,000 preregistered SIM cards. Wow.
A real drain
“Crypto draining” is another scamming technique on the rise. The criminal sends a link to what looks and feels like a legitimate trading platform or service. You connect your crypto credentials, and, just like that, your money is redirected right into a criminal’s wallet.
Crypto drainers are all over social media, too. In one campaign that ran from March to December of 2023, they got away with $59 million from over 63,000 victims worldwide.
The chop shop
Ask Kim: Is it possible to have Wi-Fi in an RV?
Let’s level up your internet camper options. For starters, the personal hotspot feature on his phone could be the Wi-Fi source in the camper. Plans generally cost between $30 to $60 a month.
The amount of data depends on the plan. You get unlimited data in some cases, while others limit you to a certain amount. Usually, if you go over, you get hit with a fee.
Find and track Starlink satellites in the sky
Did you know you can spot Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites from your backyard? More than six thousand of them are orbiting the Earth. Here’s how to see them.
Way to go, Elon: If you’ve been hit by Hurricane Helene, Starlink, the satellite internet service subsidiary of SpaceX, is stepping in to help. They’re offering free service for the first month so you can stay connected, even if your regular internet service is down. Details here.
Space update: Satellites, Starlink and a fiery eclipse
One thing about tech you can bet $100 on. There’s always something new, better, faster and begging you to open your wallet. You’ve probably never heard of BlueWalker 3.
This communications satellite orbiting Earth will totally change up the cellular marketplace. For starters, you won’t have to deal with crappy cell phone service or no bars anymore. Love that, don’t you?
Space "trashsteroids" coming in hot
It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s space junk hurtling toward your house! More than 170 million pieces of space junk are floating above us: Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites, old Chinese rocket boosters, dead Soviet satellites and a whole host of NASA shrapnel.
🤠 Did you hear Elon Musk is moving X and SpaceX to Texas? Yup, now all his X-es live in Texas. (Oh, good one there!) Speaking of Musk, right now, you can spot Starlink’s massive train of 6,219 satellites in the sky. Go to FindStarlink.com and type in your city to see when and where it’s visible near you over the next five days.
📶 Calling all RVers, travelers and campers: The new Starlink Mini dish gives you Wi-Fi anywhere, fueled by a power bank or solar generator. Price: $599 for the hardware, then $150 a month for unlimited data, or $50 per month for 50GB of data.
Insurers use drones to watch your home
Invasion of privacy? CJ Sveen says his home insurance was dropped after aerial pics were used to spy on his property. Plus, Russian troops smuggle Starlink, Android’s new “Find My Device” feature, and the crazy lengths one hacker went to avoid paying $100,000 in child support.
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.
Competition is a win for consumers: AT&T and AST SpaceMobile are joining forces to provide internet service from space. The deal runs through 2030. Starlink has a similar arrangement with T‑Mobile. More competition = Cheaper prices. Love when that happens!
Solar storm tech issues: There weren’t too many disruptions from the recent global light show, but Starlink’s satellites had a few glitches. Interestingly, GPS navigation systems used by John Deere tractors and other brands to create ultra-tight, straight lines for planting were knocked out — and during a peak planting season. I was so bummed I saw nothing in the skies over Phoenix.
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