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👋 Hey there, {{first_name | friend}}, it’s Kim.
One download. That’s all it took for crooks to walk off with $6.3 billion. And the guy who clicked it thought he was acing a job interview. Really.
That’s where this weekend’s show starts. Then it gets weird. Hackers cooking groceries from inside a freezer. A mom who billed another mom a dollar per bathroom trip. And a game console stuffed inside an alligator. (Andrew had to guess that one live.)
🎧 Pop in your earbuds. Rake the leaves. Start the Thanksgiving list. Sit in the driveway a few extra minutes. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or iHeart.
📺 Looking for the video? This week, the show is audio only. Our video team had a family matter, and family comes first. You’ll get the videos from the last two shows this coming week, and we’re back on track. No more hiccups, I hope.
🗺️ Where’s Waldo Kim? With 510 stations coast to coast, I’m probably closer than you think. Find your station here.
🙌 This week’s show is brought to you by Hostinger.* 5.5 million customers. 4.6 stars on Trustpilot. 4.9 stars on Google. I moved Komando.com there and built Barry’s site with its AI Website Builder. Go to Hostinger.com/Kim and use code KIM10 for an extra 10% off. You’re covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
🎙️ On the show this weekend
Image: Kim Komando
The job was fake. The $6.3 billion was real.
A recruiter finds a software engineer online. A great company offering a great title. The engineer does a video call with HR. Then a second interview with the CEO. He nails it.
Last step: a little coding test to do at home.
I’ll tell you who was really on the other end of that interview, how one file turned into one of the biggest heists ever and the one rule that keeps this from happening to you. If you or anyone in your family is job hunting, this one’s for you.
🔔 One click and you never miss a show: Subscribe on YouTube. It’s free.
Don’t stop now. Next up: the business practice that raised some people’s internet bill by $312. 👇
🧮 NUMBER OF THE WEEK: $312
That’s how much more one Starlink customer will pay a year for the same home internet. Starlink switched some customers to “dynamic” pricing based on how many of their neighbors are online.
It cuts both ways. In some cities, bills are going down. Is your bill next? I’ll tell you how to check your new rate before Nov. 30 on the show.
Keep scrolling. Three bonus tips, a pop quiz for your website and my worst jokes of the week are all below. 👇
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
Is your website stuck in 2015?
If your website looks the same as the day you built it, you’re losing customers. People find businesses through ChatGPT, Google’s AI answers and their phones. A slow, dated site gets skipped. That’s why I trust Hostinger.
I’m not the only one. Hostinger has 5.5 million customers, a 4.6 rating on Trustpilot and a 4.9 on Google. I moved Komando.com there myself.
Already have a site? Switch now and be ready for 2027. It runs fast on phones, security comes built in and the AI tools help you freshen up tired pages in minutes. Make the move to Hostinger.
No site yet? Stop sending customers to a social media page you don’t control. Tell Hostinger’s AI Website Builder what your site is for, and it builds the layout, writes the words and picks the images. That’s how I built Barry’s site. No coding.
Nothing to lose with the 30-day money-back guarantee. Use my code KIM10 for an extra 10% off.
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🎧 THIS WEEK’S SHOW IS FOR YOU IF…
▶ You’re job hunting. A “coding test” cost one company $6.3 billion. Hear the one rule that would have stopped it.
▶ You have Starlink. Your home internet bill may have just changed. Check it before Nov. 30.
▶ You shop online. A fake store opens every three minutes. I’ll show you how to spot one.
▶ You drive a GM or Ford. Your car has been talking about you. So has your TV.
▶ You have a smart freezer. Hackers turned some into ovens.
▶ You’re picking a health plan. Let AI do the comparing.
▶ You’re flying for Thanksgiving. Skip this one day.
▶ You have a library card. There’s free streaming hiding in your wallet.
▶ You’re stuck in a reply-all chain. Dig out of 40 emails in 10 minutes.
▶ You use ChatGPT. Five secret commands turn it into a photo editor.
Three hours of stories. Find yours. Then send this to the people on the list you know.
📻 Want to be on the show? Got a tech question driving you nuts? A gadget that won’t behave? A scam you nearly fell for? I want to hear it. Ask me here, and you might hear your name on the radio next weekend.
Still with me? Good. Three tips I cut from the show are right below. Email readers only. 👇
✂️ CUTTING-ROOM FLOOR
Three tips that didn’t make the show. Email readers only.
Your iPhone apps can beg you to stay. As of this week, Apple lets apps pop up a special offer the moment you start to cancel a subscription. Here’s the pro move: Go to cancel even if you just want a better price. Open Settings > [your name] > Subscriptions, pick the app and tap Cancel Subscription. You might get a discount on the spot. Read the fine print first. How long does the deal last, and what does the price jump to after? Still want out? Keep going and finish canceling.
Windows users, mark Tuesday on your calendar. Nov. 10 is Patch Tuesday, the day Microsoft drops its monthly fixes. This round plugs security holes and fixes Smart App Control, a built-in shield that got stuck grayed out on some PCs. It also brings a faster-launching Edge browser, clearer camera, mic and location privacy settings and a smarter hibernate mode that saves laptop battery. Don’t wait for a pop-up. Go to Start > Settings > Windows Update. If updates are paused, click Resume updates. Then turn on Get the latest updates as soon as they’re available. Save your work Tuesday night, and let it restart. Microsoft rolls some features out in stages, so yours may show up a little later.
Ask Gemini, “Is this AI?” Got a too-wild-to-be-true photo, video or voice message? Upload it to Google’s free Gemini at gemini.google.com or in the Android app and ask, “Is this AI-generated?” Gemini checks for hidden watermarks that Google’s AI tools stamp into everything they make, plus the digital labels other companies use. One catch: If it finds nothing, that doesn’t prove it’s real. It simply means it wasn’t made with Google’s AI. Still a smart first check before you share, panic or send money.
Brace yourself. My worst jokes of the week are next. Andrew already groaned. 👇
🥁 WORST JOKES OF THE WEEK
Kelvin and Celsius had a job interview, but only one of them got the job. It was Celsius. He had a degree.
Why did the router break up with the modem? It needed some space. And a better connection.
Why is the library the tallest building in town? It has so many stories.
(Andrew groaned at all three. That’s the only review I trust.)
Pencils ready? Is your website ready for 2027? Take my 5-question pop quiz. 👇
📝 POP QUIZ: IS YOUR WEBSITE READY FOR 2027?
Pull up your website on your phone. Give yourself one point for every YES. No cheating. (I’m looking at you, guy who hasn’t touched his site since flip phones.)
Does it load in three seconds or less? Count it out. One Mississippi, two Mississippi… If you’re still waiting, so are your customers. Except they’re already gone.
Would AI recommend you? Ask ChatGPT, “What’s the best [what you do] in [your city]?” More people are finding businesses this way. If your name, services, hours and city aren’t on your site in plain words, AI can’t find you.
Is the address bar warning-free? If your browser says “Not secure” next to your site, your visitors see that, too. Zero points.
Have you updated in the last six months? Old prices, old photos or a “Happy Holidays 2023” banner don’t make it.
Can a customer reach you in two taps? Call, book, buy or email. If they have to hunt, they won’t.
How’d you score?
🏆 5 points: You’re ready for 2027. Go take a victory lap.
🛠️ 3 to 4 points: Your site needs a tune-up.
🦖 0 to 2 points: Your website is stuck in 2015.
😬 No website at all? That’s a zero, friend. Your customers are finding someone else.
Here’s the good news. Fixing your site doesn’t need a developer or a big budget. That’s why I moved Komando.com to Hostinger,* and why I built Barry’s site with its AI Website Builder. You tell it what your business does, and it builds the layout, writes the words and picks the images. 5.5 million customers use Hostinger. It has a 4.6 rating on Trustpilot and a 4.9 on Google.
✅ Ace the quiz: Go to Hostinger.com/Kim and use code KIM10 for an extra 10% off. Try it for 30 days. If you don’t love it, get your money back. Nothing to lose but that 2015 website.
Don’t leave yet. I saved one more joke for the very bottom. 👇
What was your favorite story this week? Hit reply and tell me. I read these.
Forward this to the friend who’s job hunting. (Friend, if that’s you: Welcome! Get this email free every week at GetKim.com.)
Kim
@kimkomando everywhere
P.S. Only got a few minutes? Start with the opener. One coding test, one download, $6.3 billion gone, and the one rule every job hunter needs. Listen on Apple or Spotify. They called it a coding test. Somebody failed it to the tune of $6.3 billion.
🍻 One for the road: What did the fake recruiter say at the end of the job interview? “We’ll be in touch.” With your bank account.
Photo credit(s): Kim Komando
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