thieves Archives

Opt-Out Tuesday: How to remove your info from FamilyTreeNow

People search sites collect your information from publicly available sources and offer it to anyone interested, including thieves and scammers. There are countless sites like this. So, how do you protect your data? You need to remove it.

In this edition of my Opt-Out Tuesday series, let’s remove your data from FamilyTreeNow.

Avoid people search sites at all costs, especially if it costs you

Don’t ever pay for any people search service. Most of these sites are scammy in nature. You may think you’re paying for one report and find that you’ve been roped into recurring charges.

When you go to opt out, be careful which links you click. The buttons on these sites are often ads that lead you to another site that requests payment.

Do you have older relatives who may not know about these sites? While you’re opting out yourself, why not do the same for them? Just type in their information as you would your own, and follow our steps to completion.

PSA: There’s an easier way

Below I’ll give you the steps to remove yourself from FamlyTreeNow, but that’s just one of hundreds of such sites. If you want to knock them all out in one go, check out Incogni.

Incogni does all that hard work for you. It took me three minutes to go through the sign-up process, then they get to work removing you from 180+ sites. You don’t have to lift a finger after that initial setup. So great.

I have a special deal just for you. Right now, get 60% off an annual subscription using code KIM60.

Not very family-friendly

Tracing your genealogy was all the rage a few years ago, and business is still booming for sites like Ancestry and 23andMe. However, the rise of data breaches and loose privacy practices have hopefully made people more careful about where they share their information.

Continue reading →

Porch pirates are worst in these states

What is the average value of a stolen package? About $50. Who are the ones doing that stealing? Data shows that 94% of porch pirates are 45 and younger, and 67% are middle class. That’s a little surprising, wouldn’t you say?

Continue reading →

Life upgrades you didn’t know you needed

Get the best night’s sleep of your life with a Bluetooth sleep mask.
A high-tech mug warmer will keep your java nice and hot.
This power bank is small enough to fit in your pocket and works with iPhone, Samsung Galaxy and others.
You’ll use this combo phone stand, Bluetooth speaker and clock every day.
Protect your debit and credit cards from thieves with this slim RFID-blocking wallet.

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

AI is running for mayor

00:00

–:–

Open/download audio

A guy tried getting ChatGPT elected as the mayor of Cheyenne, Wyoming, but voters shut that down fast. Google secretly scraped $5 billion worth of data, moped thieves stealing AirPods Max, and Chick-fil-A is launching a streaming platform.

⛽ New pain at the pump: When you swipe a credit card at a gas station, it usually checks for a $1 balance, lets you fill up, then charges the full amount. Thieves have caught on. They can use practically any stolen card to rack up hundreds of dollars in free gas. To not get taken, use Apple Pay, Google Pay or the gas station’s app.

$575,000 stolen Ferrari

Found, thanks to a pair of AirPods. Thieves took the car in Greenwich, Connecticut. Luckily, the owner had left a pair of AirPods inside, and police tracked the stolen ride down at a gas station. They pulled over the suspects, who then fled the scene and were later captured. Dopes.

3 common mistakes when installing security cameras

Security cameras give us peace of mind that our homes and valuables are safe when we’re away. A doorbell camera can be a significant deterrent for sneaky thieves.

They aren’t failsafe, though. Crooks can jam Wi-Fi-connected video doorbells and rob you before you realize what happened. It’s rare but possible. Tap or click for smart ways to stop them in their tracks.

Continue reading →

7 clever uses for your smart doorbell camera

Smart doorbell cameras add a ton of value to your life. Not only do they make you feel more secure in your home, but they can deter criminals, too. If you let a burglar know you’re watching them, they may be too spooked to try anything.

Continue reading →

⚠️ Targeting older adults: A 76-year-old man was duped out of $740,000 by criminals pretending to be government officials (paywall link). He had trouble logging into his retirement account and received a message from the firm (complete with a legit logo), telling him to call the fraud department. He sent money via bitcoin, wire transfers and gold to “secure” places. PSA: Government agencies will never call and tell you to move your money.

Catching porch pirates and mail thieves

00:00

–:–

Open/download audio

A savvy woman fought back against porch pirates by mailing herself an Apple AirTag, leading to the capture of the thieves who had been stealing her mail.

Drive-by theft: Thieves are snatching $550 AirPod Max headphones right off people’s heads. As your music blasts, they sneak up on a peddle bike or moped, and before you realize it — poof! — those pricey headphones are gone.

Sad reality: Thieves are stripping copper and other metals from streetlights, statues and even gravestones. They sell it to recyclers for anything from a couple of bucks to a few hundred dollars. The worst part? People are dying because of it; missing streetlights mean more accidents.

😱 $100,000 in Legos stolen: Thieves hit six Bricks & Minifigs stores across Southern California, stealing rare mini-figures worth up to $600 a pop. It’s a coordinated effort, with one bad guy grabbing while the other waits in a getaway car. The blocky bandits are still at large as police piece together the clues.

More than you bargained for: Robberies are booming on Facebook Marketplace. Thieves bait you with hot items like cars and sneakers, then they jump you when you show up to buy. Step one is checking a seller’s profile to make sure it wasn’t created yesterday. Then, meet in a public place (police stations are best) and always bring a buddy.

3 ways thieves are stealing expensive phones

00:00

–:–

Open/download audio

Are you often chatting with friendly strangers when you’re out and about? Here’s why you need to stay cautious, in 60 seconds.

Crooks are jamming security cameras — Protect yours now!

Security cameras work in two ways. First, they act as a deterrent to thieves. If that doesn’t work, it captures them in the act of stealing your things or breaking into your home.

Your surveillance system is only as good as what your cameras can see. Placement is critical — you don’t want a tree blocking the view of your backyard. You also don’t want cameras to send a notification whenever a squirrel runs across the lawn. Tap or click here for four mistakes you’re making with your home security system.

Continue reading →

Don’t fall for this Facebook scam that steals your password

Social media accounts are more valuable to cybercriminals than you might think. Tap or click for 10 accounts more valuable to cybercriminals than your credit card. That’s why thieves are constantly finding new ways to steal credentials. That brings us to a recent Facebook phishing attack. If you fall for it, you’re handing over your account to criminals.

Continue reading →

This tricky scam campaign goes after those who lost money in crypto

Cryptocurrency has always been a risky investment. Even though Bitcoin skyrocketed and made some investors millionaires, it’s difficult to predict when or why the crypto market will slide. Not only that, but the FBI warns that hackers have been targeting crypto platforms. Tap or click here for our report.

Continue reading →

This terrifying phone scam uses a trusted phone number to trick you

Spam phone calls have been around for years and come at the most inopportune times, like when you’re sitting down for a family dinner. But they aren’t just annoying telemarketing calls these days. Now we have to worry about scammers trying to rip us off. Tap or click here for ways to silence spam calls without downloading any apps.

Continue reading →

New Facebook scam banks on you sharing a heartbreaking post

The holidays are upon us, so you’re probably doing some online shopping to complete the endless gift list. Be extra careful this holiday season, as the number of thieves targeting online shoppers is incredibly high. Tap or click here for eight ways to avoid holiday shopping scams.

Continue reading →