🚦 Toll scam steals over a billion dollars

Woo hoo, it’s Friday, {{first_name | friend}}. Let’s head into the weekend with a slice of tech history that’s truly delicious. Back in 2001, a major company made headlines by pulling off something no one had ever done before, and it involved outer space, international coordination and a pizza.

🍕 Can you guess what business was behind the world’s first pizza delivery to space? Was it: A) Domino’s, B) Lockheed Martin, C) Pizza Hut or D) Amazon? Take your best guess, and maybe order a pie while you’re at it. 

This is awful: Imagine coming home one day to find your house sold and your belongings on the lawn. That nightmare happened to a man in Texas because of a scam called title theft. The scary truth? It can happen to any homeowner. Are you protected? I am, and you should be, too. More info below on how to prevent this. — Kim

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You’ve probably seen it: a text that says something like, “You have an overdue toll balance. Click here to avoid late fees.” It looks official, urgent and believable enough to make you think maybe it’s legit.

That text is part of a very sophisticated scam run by Chinese criminal gangs, and they’ve already made over a billion dollars ripping people off across the U.S., per the WSJ (paywall link).

Here’s the pipeline these gangs use to steal your information and your money.

1. U.S.-based devices

Scammers set up “SIM farms” here in the States. Picture a folding table stacked with dozens of phones and SIM cards blasting out 300,000 fake toll-payment texts a day. 

One setup can impersonate 1,000 phone numbers. They spoof area codes to make these texts look like they’re from your state toll authority.

2. Fake sites

Click the link and you’re taken to a website that looks exactly like your real toll agency, down to the logo and colors. You’re asked to enter your credit card info, your name and one-time security code. 

Do it and you’ve handed over everything they need to go shopping on your dime.

3. U.S. “mules”

It gets darker. U.S.-based gig workers, often recruited on Telegram, are paid 12 cents per $100 to take those stolen card numbers and buy iPhones, luxury purses and other high-ticket items, but mostly gift cards. 

Gift cards are nearly untraceable, and the money moves fast and clean. Those goods are then shipped back to China, flipped for cash and funneled straight into organized crime and gangs.

These scammers are counting on you to be busy, distracted or curious enough to click. That’s all it takes. Here’s what I tell you all the time:

That unpaid toll text? Now you know it’s not spam. It’s the entry point to a billion-dollar global operation. Delete the text. And never let your phone be the start of someone else’s payday.

📣 Use the share buttons below to spread the word. This scam is slick, convincing and dangerous. The more people know what to look out for, the fewer victims there’ll be. So take a second to share this story with the people you care about. It might save someone from a very expensive mistake. You can make a difference!

They power your life, but when they fail, they really fail. Your AI host George breaks down why lithium batteries can explode and how to keep your phone or e-bike safe. Plus: sextortion spyware snapping webcam pics, fake refund text scams, and AirPods Pro 3’s wild new translation feature.

Listen on Komando.com →

🎧 Or listen now on your favorite platform:

👓 Eyes on the road: Amazon’s new smart glasses guide drivers turn-by-turn, scan packages and even snap delivery pics, all hands-free. Amazon swears it’s about safety, but the internet says it’s step one of “training the bots.” Either way, your driver’s basically half-cyborg now, and a database somewhere has front-row seats to your dog barking through a window.   

Speaking of glasses, lights out, creep on: A hobbyist named Bong Kim (no, it’s def not me on 4/20) is charging folks $60 to disable the tiny LED on Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses. Yeah, the one that lights up when you’re recording. Meta built it to stop creeps from filming in secret. Kim’s mod kills that warning completely, so the specs can still record with no light. I’m telling you, these glasses are a creeper’s dream come true. 

🪟 SID happens: Install the updates KB5064081 or KB5065426, and boom, Windows might forget who you are. Microsoft says the bug hits Windows 11 and Server 2025 systems cloned with duplicate SIDs, and only a full rebuild fixes it. Network shares, remote desktop, even file access are all toast. The fix? Start over. Fun times.

🌡️ Nest goes dumb tomorrow: If you’ve got a 1st or 2nd gen Nest Learning Thermostat, it’s going to lose its smarts. That means no more app control, Home/Away Assist or remote tweaks, only good old manual buttons. Basically, it’s a fancy dial. Upgrade now, there are some pretty solid deals out there. My favorite is this little guy. 

Modern family: Who do you text first when life happens? It’s a group chat. Giphy found almost 80% of Gen Z spill big news there first. Jobs, breakups, messy updates, all of it. Over half say their chat knows them better than their own family. Basically, it’s the new living room but with emojis and memes. 

🥰 AI saved her breast: Get this, Brooke Davis, a 40-year-old mom from Cedar Rapids, avoided a mastectomy thanks to an AI tool called TumorSight Viz. It builds a 3D model of breast MRIs, so surgeons can remove only the cancer, not the whole breast. Her doctor used it to plan a lumpectomy. Now she’s cancer-free and “completely normal me.” Amazing.

💼 Attention small business owners: When it comes to hiring, networking or finding serious talent, LinkedIn is still where business gets done. You can post a job for free and reach candidates who are actually qualified, not just scrolling. Even one good hire can change everything. Start now at linkedin.com/kim.*

We’ve all done it: Googled our rashes. Now we ask AI, like it or not. Here’s how to do it the safe way.

Listen on Komando.com →

You’ve got seven days. These steals won’t haunt your wallet.

Trick-or-treat comms: Walkie-talkies (30% off, two-pack) keep your kiddos connected while they roam the neighborhood.

💧 Ghost your makeup, not your skin: Face paint? Fake blood? This makeup remover (26% off) erases it all without a trace.

Cover your coffin (er, table): From snack tables to potion stations, black tablecloths (29% off) hide spills and look chic.

💡 Lights that slay: Purple and orange floodlights (41% off) are a quick and easy way to transform your porch.

🎃 Freaky-fast finds: Need candy or a last-minute costume? Grab ’em all here.

⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Set up bank alerts for every purchase, so you’ll know right away if someone steals your card. In your banking app, go to Settings > Alerts or Notifications and turn on Text and Email. So smart.

Fix a frozen computer screen: If your PC freezes, reset the graphics driver by pressing Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + B. You’ll hear a beep, the screen will go black briefly, and the driver will reload. Then press Ctrl + Alt + Delete, open Task Manager and End any unresponsive apps. If all else fails, press the Power button to Restart.

🍏 Change app icons on iOS 26: Long-press an empty spot on your Home Screen, tap Edit in the top left and hit Customize. At the bottom, choose Dark, Clear or Tinted icons. You can also switch between small and large icons by tapping the two-square button in the top right of the same menu.

Set out-of-office replies in Outlook: Leaving for vacation? Let people know you’re away. Go to Settings (top right) > Accounts > Automatic replies. Select your email, toggle on Turn on automatic replies, choose a start and end date, and type your message. Hit Save at the bottom, and Outlook handles the rest while you relax.

📬 Create a Gmail group email: Tired of adding the same people one by one? Make a contact group instead. In Gmail, click Google apps (top right) > Contacts. Select your people, tap Manage labels (top right) > Create label and name your group. Back in Gmail, compose a message, type the group name in “To,” and everyone’s added automatically. Magic.

🛡️ This is important: If there’s one upgrade that gives you instant peace of mind, it’s a smarter home security system. SimpliSafe’s wireless DIY setup lets you protect every door, window and room in minutes, with no contracts and no hidden fees. I trust it and if you’re ready, check it out at www.simplisafekim.com. Save 50% now!*

Watch out! There’s a phishing campaign sending fake “voice mail” alerts that look legit, but they’re not.

I got the email above, clicked “Review Voice Mail” for research only, and it led to a fake Google sign-in page that even autopopulated my email. I’m sure malware was waiting like a hyena to strike. 

Some versions even use fake “press and hold” tests to drop spyware.

If you get an email like this, don’t click or sign in. Just forward it to [email protected]. Real voicemail never needs your Google login.

Pro tip: Got a sketchy link? Use a checker tool like IPVanish or URLVOID to scope out the site’s reputation for you. PSA: Watch the ads and links at these sites pushing downloads you don’t need. I know, so annoying.

🚀 The answer: C) Pizza Hut. Yes, really. In 2001, they paid over $1 million to a Russian space agency to send a pepperoni pizza to the International Space Station. Vacuum sealed, radiation safe and astronaut approved. 

It was even delivered by a cosmonaut aboard a Russian resupply rocket. I hope they tipped their delivery guy well! That’s one small pizza for man, one giant leap for cravings.

Hey, what do you call a pizza with just peppers on it? A pepperonly pizza! Wow, telling jokes about pizza is hard. It’s all in the delivery.

Before you go: Title theft is skyrocketing across the country. Since 2019, homeowners have lost more than $1.3 billion, and the FBI warns it’s only getting worse. That’s why I trust Home Title Lock to protect my hard-earned equity. Don’t risk everything you’ve worked for. Get your free Title History Report and 14-day trial today.

You’re officially reading the #1 free tech newsletter in the United States. I’ll catch you tomorrow with the fix-it edition and tiny tech hacks that will make you look like a wizard. You’ll never see your dusty remote the same way again.

👏 Go surprise yourself today. I’ll be here tomorrow for the encore. — Kim

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Photo credit(s): Washington, D.C., Attorney General’s Office, Sweet Water Decor, Kim Komando

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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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