🚗 AI’s latest trick? Faking car crashes

It’s Thursday, {{first_name | friend}}. Ever get that creepy-cool feeling that your phone knows you a little too well? Like, you just rolled out of bed, your hair’s doing something from another dimension, and your iPhone still unlocks like, “Yep, that’s you.” 

💡 So here’s a brain-tickler: What kind of light does your phone use to recognize your beautiful face? Is it: A) Visible, B) Infrared, C) UV, or D) Blue light? Unlock the answer at the end! 

Goldman Sachs expects gold to hit $4,900 per ounce by December 2026. I own gold, and you should have some, too. Get Goldco’s free kit, “The Ultimate Guide to Gold & Silver,” and find out how to get started. Today’s newsletter is brought to you by Goldco. Show your thanks by checking them out.

Not a fan of surprise goodbyes? Mark this newsletter as “Not Spam” or drag it to your Primary tab, your inbox algorithms (and I!) will respond kindly. — Kim

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I just read a jaw-dropping research paper out of Cornell University that hasn’t hit the headlines anywhere yet. Welcome to our new world. Scammers are using AI photos to create fake car accidents.

I’m talking crash photos, damage reports, even fake driver’s licenses all crafted by AI in minutes. Fraudsters are submitting fake claims to insurance companies and getting paid out. The tech is so good, even humans and some AI detectors can’t tell what’s real and what’s not.

In the U.K., reports show insurance fraud using doctored photos has exploded 300% in one year. And here in the U.S., insurers are scrambling to catch up. Your claim could get flagged even if you’re honest.

Insurance companies are cracking down across the board. So here’s how to protect yourself.

✅ Right after an accident, get to work.

✅ Save everything.

Pro tip: If your insurer offers a mobile app, use it. Many include built-in tools that attach time stamps and location data, uploading your files instantly.

Want ironclad evidence that protects you before questions start flying? Get a dashcam. It runs while you drive, and some record when you’re parked. Btw, dashcams make a great Christmas gift!

🌟 Solid overall pick. Rove R2-4K ($130, 35% off): Crystal-clear 4K at 30 fps means you catch every detail. No “wait, what happened?” moments. Plus, lightning-fast Wi-Fi and GPS tagging make reviewing clips from your phone easy. Strong and reliable.

🌟 Hot new release (and worth the hype). Terunsoul D016 ($110): Dual 4K cameras with wide 170° lenses and night vision capture hard-to-see details. Even comes with a 128GB card to get you started, and you can expand storage up to 512GB. Love those options!

🌟 Best value at a deep discount. Redtiger F7NP ($86, 43% off): Wide-angle front and rear cameras cover you from bumper to bumper. A 24-hour parking monitor keeps an eye on your car while you sleep or shop. In a wreck? The collision sensor autosaves the footage.

I didn’t write this to scare you, I did it to prepare you. AI is rewriting the rules of how insurance works, even in Canada where most people have triple “eh.”

🚨 Forward this newsletter to a friend, post a link in your family group chat or use the share icons below with anyone who drives. Because next time, it could be your real claim that gets flagged as fake.

Is your new romance a state-sponsored plot? Former KGB secret agent Aliia Roza reveals the tactics of “sexpionage” and how it’s being used to target Silicon Valley secrets. You don’t want to miss this one!

Listen on Komando.com →

🎧 Or listen now on your favorite platform:

🪪 Smile for Uncle Sam: A new smartphone app built for local law enforcement gives officers face‑scanning powers very similar to the tool used by ICE. The app, uncovered by Ars Technica, links camera photos to large biometric databases. It doesn’t return a name but a “reference number” and tells officers whether to call ICE. We’re inching toward a world where anyone’s face will be your ID.

Facebook’s romance algorithm: The same company that leaks your data is promising true love. Facebook Dating’s quietly pulling 21 million daily users (paywall link), more than Hinge’s 15 million, and it’s free. They’ve even added an AI wingman named “Meet Cute” to pick your weekly soulmate. Basically, Meta turned “poking” into a matchmaking service.

🚖 Waymo hits the gas: Live in San Diego, Las Vegas or Detroit? Congrats, you’re getting Waymos soon. They’re currently in the San Francisco Bay Area, LA, Phoenix, Austin and Atlanta. Waymo’s “rapidly scaling,” which sounds exciting until you remember these cars don’t blink. Oh, and it’s also adding new Zeekr RT vehicles (from China), pending the regulatory green light. Rough update for Uber drivers, great news for “please don’t talk to me” passengers. 

The prank economy: OK, there’s this new site called Dare Market that pays people in crypto to do pranks. Film yourself doing something ridiculous, and if the crowd likes it, you get Solana. If not, congrats, you humiliated yourself for free. It’s raised $2 million already. They swear no one’s getting hurt, but I’ve heard that before.

“Dear diary”: Anthropic says its newest AIs, Claude Opus and Claude Sonnet, can reflect on how they think. Not in a “Skynet’s alive” way, but more like “Hey, I notice I’m reasoning weird today.” Researchers call it “introspective awareness.” It’s supposed to make AIs safer … or just better at faking it. Sounds harmless enough, but it might be the start of a very polite robot uprising. 

💼 Smarter AI, fewer guesses: Every company’s asking how to make AI work, and NetSuite already has the answer. As the #1 AI Cloud ERP trusted by over 43,000 businesses, it connects your financials, inventory and operations into one smart system that knows instead of guesses. Download “The CFO’s Guide to AI and Machine Learning” for free.*

⚖️ Kim K (the other one) vs. ChatGPT: So Kim Kardashian (yes, future lawyer Kim) admitted she used ChatGPT to study for her law exams and bombed. Turns out the chatbot’s confidence didn’t match its accuracy. Been there, right? You ask AI for help, and suddenly you’re in the fast lane to Wrongsville. Bad joke time: What’s the difference between an ancient Egyptian prince and a Kardashian? The Egyptian knew from the start that their daddy would become a mummy. (Told ya!) 🐫

Whether it’s a silly bedtime story or a tale about your pet’s wild adventures, this is a project that turns into a keepsake.

Listen on Komando.com →

Let’s prep your porch for the holidays without blowing a fuse (or your wallet).

Set it and forget it: This power stake timer (18% off, $24) means no more walking outside to unplug lights at midnight. Comes with a remote that reaches 100 feet.

🇺🇲 In honor of Veterans Day: Salute our heroes by upgrading your outdoor American flag ($10, 50% off). Heavy-duty polyester lets it wave, not fray.

Easy on, easy off: A pack of these light clips (8% off, $12) keeps your Christmas lights sturdy without peeling your paint. Your walls (and sanity) will thank you.

🚪 Front-entrance flex: This wreath hanger (15% off, $9) holds up to 20 pounds and adjusts for the perfect placement. Change it up without leaving a mark

Wipe those shoes: Stop dirt before it hits your floor with a new doormat (24% off, $46). The low profile means your door won’t catch and drive you nuts.

🎁 Shop the season: Hit up Amazon’s holiday page for more steals on decor, stocking stuffers and more. You’ll rest easy getting that out of the way now.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: On a Chromebook, you can customize your keyboard and touchpad. Go to Settings > Device > Touchpad or Keyboard. Try changing what a right-click does or make the top row work as function keys. Fun!

Sora’s available on Android: Yep, you can now download the AI video app from the Google Play Store. ICYDK, Sora lets you create videos by describing what you want in text, with a TikTok-style layout. There’s a “Cameos” feature that uses your face to make an AI video starring you. And we thought deepfakes were scary. 😅

📱 Free phones aren’t really free: Big carriers bury costs in long contracts that can trap you for years. Consumer Cellular keeps it simple with no hidden fees and no gotchas. If you are over 50, get two unlimited lines for just $30 each and save another $25 when you use my link.*

🖥️ Snap layouts: Windows 11 has a clever feature that helps you organize apps on your screen. Hover over the Maximize button on any window to see layout options for splitting your screen into halves, thirds or quarters. Click where you want the app to go, and Windows will line up the rest for you. It’s better than manually resizing.

Filter the trolls: Getting rude comments or DMs on Instagram is no fun. You can hide them before anyone else sees. Go to your profile > Settings and activity > How others can interact with you > Hidden Words. Type words you don’t want showing and hit Add. Anything similar disappears from comments and DMs.

Organize your Apple Watch: One of the best ways to clean things up is by customizing the Control Center you open every day. Press the Side button, scroll to the bottom and tap Edit. Drag your most-used icons, like the flashlight, to the top, and remove the ones you don’t need with the minus sign. Bonus: The Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) is on sale.

📖 Screenshot pages on your Kindle: Want to keep a quote or passage for later? Tap the upper-right and lower-left corners at the same time. You’ll see a quick flash, meaning it worked. To find it, plug your Kindle into a computer and open the Screenshots folder (or the Root folder on older models).

Move over, SpongeBob, there’s a new deep-sea explorer in Bikini Bottom, and it runs on code, not gills.

Scientists in China have built a nearly weightless, tuna-can-size robot jellyfish powered by AI and electrohydraulic “muscles.” It swims like the real thing and was designed to monitor coral reefs and marine life, or so they say.

Now this is China. “Monitoring” is a nice way of saying see through surveillance.

The answer: B) Infrared. iPhones and high-end Androids use invisible infrared light to scan your face in 3D, even in total darkness. The cheaper phones? They usually rely on the front camera, which is basically guessing with a flashlight. So yes, your phone knows what you look like before coffee and still recognizes you. That’s love.

✋ With the economy all over the place, I don’t take chances. I protect part of my savings with real gold and silver. It’s smart, it’s stable, and it gives me peace of mind. Right now, Goldco is offering up to 10% back in free silver when you open a qualified account. If you’ve been thinking about making a move, this is a great time to do it.

Tomorrow, my favorite true story streaming movies you’re gonna want to see. This is the #1 free tech newsletter in the United States.

🌤️ Take what you need from today and leave the rest. You’re incredible. I’ll see you tomorrow. — Kim

📣 Don’t keep me a secret: Send your friends to GetKim.com.

Photo credit(s): ChatGPT, Dewenwils, Northwestern Polytechnical University

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This newsletter and its content are intended for informational purposes only. They are provided without warranty of any kind. You shouldn’t construe anything provided here as legal, health, medical, technical, tax, investment, financial or any other kind of advice.

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