⚠️ Scams are getting smarter, and you need to keep up

Happy Friday, {{first_name | friend}}. Imagine this: a video game so infamously bad, they didn’t just stop selling it, they buried it. In the New Mexico desert. For real. We’re talking about the epic flop E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial for the Atari 2600. The gaming company dumped its dirty little secret in a tomb for unsold cartridges. It’s like a time capsule, if the goal was to warn future civilizations about what not to play.

🎮 How many game cartridges do you think got the sandy send-off? Was it: A) 100, B) 1,000, C) 10,000 or D) Over 700,000? No need to phone home as the answer is unearthed at the end!

💛 Something I’m really proud of: I’m always looking for ways to make life easier and healthier. My team of experts created ImproveLife GLP-1 Support to help manage cravings, support metabolism and keep energy steady without caffeine or stimulants. It’s made with clinically studied botanical ingredients that work with your body. Hit this link for up to 33% off plus free shipping.** — Kim

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I don’t want you to be a statistic. 

Google put out a quiet but urgent warning: Online scams are on the rise, and they’re getting harder to spot. Even savvy folks are getting blindsided. 

According to FTC data cited in Google’s November 2025 advisory, 57% of adults were targeted by a scam in the past year, and 23% had their money stolen. Let those numbers sink in. I’ll wait.

These scams don’t come from a sketchy email with misspelled words and cartoonish logos anymore. They’re polished. Professional. Powered by AI. 

A fake job offer that looks like it’s from a company you trust. A holiday travel deal that matches exactly what you searched for. A banking app that appears like your real one, down to the logo and interface. A phone call with a caller ID saying it’s your financial manager.

And scammers know the season. Around the holidays, we’re all clicking more links, scanning more emails, tracking more packages. The bad guys are counting on it.

Scammers aren’t simply phishing anymore. They’re spearphishing. That means they’re using personal info they buy from data brokers, including your name, job title, hometown and more to tailor scams to you.

A few quick tips that make a big difference:

If a deal, job offer or message feels too good (or too urgent) to be true? It is.

😶‍🌫️ Scams thrive in silence. Use the super handy share icons below to send this to a friend, your group chat or that one relative who clicks on sketchy links. A single click could save someone a serious headache or a whole lot of money.

A totally fake group beat real artists on the charts. Nashville did not have this on its bingo card.

Listen on Komando.com →

📱 Google vs. phishing factory: Google’s going full Liam Neeson, suing the China-based crew behind “Lighthouse,” a subscription service for scammers. For a monthly fee, users get templates to make fake USPS or bank websites that steal your info, even without hitting submit. It’s basically a plug-and-play scam factory (paywall link). A Squarespace for criminals, if you will. In 20 days, they made 200,000 fake sites and hit over a million victims. The only square space they need is behind locked bars. 

Hyperlink heist: You know how your package says “out for delivery” and then vanishes? Turns out hackers are inside freight and shipping networks, rerouting orders before they land. They’re going after the good stuff like phones, tablets and whatever sells fast. Clicking one sketchy email shouldn’t mean a truckload of MacBooks goes missing, but here we are.

Highway to robotown: Waymo became the first U.S. robotaxi company to offer fully driverless rides (paywall link) on highways. Starting this week, folks in San Francisco, Phoenix and L.A. can order a ride that hops on the freeway, with no human driver or backup babysitter. Cars will go up to the speed limit (so, braver than most of us).

💦 Money leak alert: I saved $435 with Rocket Money just by canceling subscriptions I completely forgot about. It’s shocking how much we waste on autopilot. Find out where your money’s going at RocketMoney.com/kim.*

iPhone, meet passport: Apple’s letting you add a Digital ID to your Wallet, basically a phone-based passport for domestic flights. You scan your physical passport, nod a few times for Face ID, and boom, you’re official. It works at 250 airports, but don’t get too trigger-happy, customs still wants the real deal when you’re leaving the country.

🛍️ Facebook Marketplace wants to be your group chat: Well, Meta’s at it again. Facebook Marketplace got a glow-up, now with “collaborative shopping” (aka your mom, your neighbor, and your ex all weighing in on your sofa purchase), group chats with buyers (no thanks), and AI telling you what you really want. Because what we all needed was more notifications and unsolicited opinions while trying to score a used air fryer.

Dell’s digital oops: A vulnerability (CVE-2025-46430) in its Display and Peripherals Manager can let hackers upgrade their privileges and take over your PC. Millions are at risk. The fix? Download version 2.1.2.12 or higher ASAP. Dell swears it’s not being exploited yet, but do you really want to test that theory? Speaking of, my laptop was making funny noises today, it sounded like it was singing. Probably because it’s a Dell.

It starts with a message from a handsome man in uniform. He’s deployed, lonely and falling in love with you. This man looks identical to U.S. Marine Kagan Dunlap. But Kagan isn’t talking to you. For 10 years, his selfies have been used to steal thousands from lonely women.

Listen on Komando.com →

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Need a quick charge? Switch your phone to Airplane or Flight mode. It turns off Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and other background processes, so your battery fills up faster. Handy when you’re racing out the door.

Reset your Instagram feed: Tired of seeing the same influencers pop up? Head to your profile, then Settings and activity > Content preferences > Reset suggested content. This gives you a fresh start for posts, reels and your Explore page. It’ll start to feel more personal again as you like, share and interact with new content. 

📌 Access your Chromebook apps faster: Keep your favorite apps a click away by pinning them to your task bar. Open the Launcher in the bottom left, find the app, then right-click (or two-finger tap) and select Pin to shelf. You can drag apps around to rearrange them, or right-click again and choose Unpin to remove one.

Comprende with Kindle: Ever hit a word mid-read and think, “OK, what does that mean?” Just press and hold it to see the definition and pronunciation right on your screen. It even works for foreign words, like Spanish. Beats pulling out your phone to Google what “bueno” means because, well, that’s not very bueno.

Famous fail: Even the Mona Lisa wasn’t safe. The Louvre’s password disaster proved nobody’s safe without protection. That’s why I use NordPass. It’s the smart, simple solution for keeping all your passwords private and secure. Get 58% off plus 4 extra months.*

In today’s edition of “What’s that new thing in the sky?” I bring you the world’s first 100% solar-powered drone.

Built in Luke Maximo Bell’s garage, with carbon fiber, 3D-printed parts and sheer stubbornness, this Franken-flier takes off without a single battery, needing only pure sunlight. 

After a few cracked panels, it finally soared. It’s quiet, efficient and can technically fly infinitely right up until the first cloudy day. Or, you know, night.

🏜️ The answer: D) Over 700,000. Yep, Atari’s E.T. game were dumped in a New Mexico desert in 1983, turning an industry flop into an urban legend, and later, a confirmed fact. They made a documentary about the whole thing: Atari: Game Over. It’s a good watch! 

The moral of the story? If your project goes south, remember that someone once literally buried 700,000 of their mistakes in the desert. Incredible, right?

✨ Feeling low on energy or fighting cravings? ImproveLife GLP-1 Support helps you feel full longer, supports metabolism and keeps energy steady without caffeine or stimulants. I take it daily and truly see the difference. You can save up to 33% off, with free shipping. Your future self will thank you.**

Tomorrow, my best picks for Black Friday deals. This is the #1 tech newsletter on the planet. 

🌊 Go with the flow today, not every current needs fighting. — Kim

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Photo credit(s): Bing Image Creator, FEPPO, Luke Maximo Bell

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**These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Individual results may vary.

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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