The Current Plus: Who will buy TikTok, FCC bans ‘hidden’ fees, tax robocall warning | In partnership with LinkedIn | | Hello on this very happy Monday, friend! Let’s kick it off with trivia. Which of the following is not a texting acronym? Is it … ENE, FTW, LOL or OOMF? If you say IDK, the answer’s at the end. 🛑 Don't let your email provider or Big Tech decide what you see! Simply reply to this email. I don’t care what you say, even if it’s just “Hi.” Replying will tell the algorithm you want my content. If you can reply for a few days this week, I would really appreciate it. Thank you so much. — Kim 📫 First-time reader? Sign up here. (It’s free!) IN THIS ISSUE 📧 Trash it 📵 TikTok drama continues ⚠️ Tax robocall warning |
TODAY'S TOP STORY Trust me, just hit ‘Delete’ Last week, my calendar went crazy with event invites. These weren’t real meetings or even something fun like brunch plans — they were sketchy “appointments” from strangers. It’s just one common phishing technique you need to look out for. I’ll tell you how I fixed it, but first, here are six other phishing subject lines that should set off alarm bells. See one in your inbox? Mark it as spam! 6 scammy subject lines “Your delivery was unsuccessful.” No, it wasn’t. If you missed a letter, you’ll most likely get a text or note on your door, not an unsolicited email. Bonus points if you know the tracking number. “Action required: Your payment was declined.” Anyone demanding you act through an email deserves to be ignored. This one is often an attempt to get you to pay — for nothing. “Re: [anything].” OK, there are times when an email with “Re:” at the start is part of a legitimate chain. In many cases, though, it’s a common scam tactic designed to make you feel like it’s part of an existing chain. “Payroll has been delayed.” Does your boss email you with this exact phrase to tell you there’s a problem getting paid? If not, it’s a scam. Move along. “Dropbox: Document shared with you.” This one is hard to spot, especially if you’re a Dropbox user. If you’re expecting a Dropbox link, you can open the email to check it, but it’s best not to click email links directly. Log into Dropbox and you should be safe. “[stranger@gmail.com] mentioned you in a comment.” Scammers use a real Gmail account to create a Google Doc, then they tag you in a comment. The notification is legit, but the comment can have malicious links that lead to malware. Double-check the sender, don’t open Doc files you weren’t expecting and don’t click the links! Stop those calendar scams If you’re getting overrun with fake appointments like I was, you’ve probably been subscribed to a third-party calendar. Annoying, right? Open the Calendar app and tap Calendars at the bottom. Find any calendars you don’t recognize and tap the red "i" button. Scroll to the bottom and tap Delete Calendar. If that doesn’t work, open Settings and tap Calendar > Accounts > Subscribed Calendars. Select any calendars you don’t want, then tap Delete Account. Scammers, begone! This can happen on Google Calendar, too. To see what you’re subscribed to, go to Google Calendar and check the list called Other calendars on the left side of the page. Scroll down that list and click the X next to anything you’re unsure of. When in doubt, stop and think, don’t click that link. (Yeah, I trademarked that phrase.) PSA: Help me spread the word about phishing scams. If you run a business, nonprofit or whatever, get free flyers and social media awareness images here. Together, we can knock these scammers down a few notches. 🤣 Why are calendar puns so bad? They’re week and dated. |
WEB WATERCOOLER Who will buy TikTok? The Communist China app will be banned in the U.S. unless an American company buys it. I would if I could, with 170 million Americans hooked on the app. Dang. Who’s in the running? Former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Rumble, Kevin O’Leary and former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick. Microsoft and Oracle supposedly said no in the past. I’m surprised Elon Musk isn’t on this list. Tax rebate robocall: “Hey, this is Jennifer with the tax debt relief program. We are removing all your loan tax and debt for free, so do you owe any back tax or loan to the IRS or state?” If you haven't been hit up yet, you might be on their list. Transaction Network Services reports a whopping 6.5 million tax-themed robocalls since January; they hit half of U.S. adults last year. 🚨 Account attack: Banking Trojan PixPirate conceals itself on older iPhones without a launcher icon. It infiltrates phones via WhatsApp or SMS phishing. Stay safe: Update your phone and stick to the Apple App Store for downloads. You can also grab the real app link on your bank’s website. Ad invasion: Reddit’s new "freeform ads" look just like genuine user posts. These chameleons blend in with all the bells and whistles of a mega thread — pics, vids and captions. The goal? To trick us into engaging, of course. So watch out. No surprise they’re trying every angle to monetize ahead of their IPO. Backseat driver: Romeo Chicco is taking General Motors and LexisNexis to court in Florida, claiming his 2021 Cadillac XT6 turned into a spy on wheels without his consent. He found out GM reported his speeding, braking and acceleration info, nearly doubling his insurance. Sound familiar? I told you this was going on. 💸 Cable confessions: The FCC is cracking down on cable and satellite companies. Say goodbye to hidden fees in your bill — now, they must tell you the total cost upfront. Goodbye forever, “broadcast subscription” and “regional sports assessments” fine print. Check your cable bill for any refunds. The road to success is always under construction: YouTube megastar MrBeast is serving a reality check to fans considering ditching school or jobs for the influencer life. His advice? "For every me, there are thousands who don't make the cut." Try hundreds of thousands. With 57% of Gen Z eying influencer status as a career, a lot of used selfie cams will be for sale soon. Bada-Bing, bada-Chrome: Microsoft is nudging Windows 11 and 10 users to switch their Chrome browser’s default search to Bing. The tactic? A sneaky pop-up ad offering free access to ChatGPT‑4 if you switch. Click “Yes” and Microsoft automatically changes your search settings to Bing. |
LISTEN UP | | Roblox scams that target your kids More than 70 million people play Roblox daily. Find out why some are fraudsters targeting children. Play Now • 6:06 ▶ |
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DEVICE ADVICE It’s covered in gross Did you take off your smartwatch the last time you were sweaty or when you took a potty break? Yeah, didn’t think so. Wearable gadgets host 30 times more bacteria than your toilet. Do this, like, now: Turn it off and remove any straps attached to it. Take a small amount of rubbing alcohol to a cloth or cotton swab. Use it to wipe the screen and exterior of the watch. Avoid the straps! Let the watch air dry completely before reattaching the straps and turning it back on. ✂️ Better way: Use a UV sanitizing box to kill bacteria on your smartwatch. While you're at it, toss in your phone and keys, too. |
TECH LIFE UPGRADES 🧟 Leave the pass in the past: No more zombie passes cluttering up your Google Wallet after the latest upgrade. Just manually move that old movie pass into the “Archived Passes” section. It works both ways, with the option to move old passes back to your home feed. But why would you? One of iOS 17’s best features: Use StandBy mode to turn your iPhone into an alarm clock. Go to Settings > StandBy. Now, just put your iPhone on a charging stand (Anker wireless or a fun, colorful option!) in Landscape mode. I know I sound like an Apple fangirl, but it’s sweet. Spring cleaning: Space on your Android is a precious resource, so make sure you deal with the apps trying to hog it. Tap Settings > Storage > Apps to see the worst space-taking offenders. 📦 Side hustle at your main gig: Amazon is using small businesses as delivery partners — think local coffee joints, florists or yoga studios. If you have a small biz, this might be a way to earn extra money! Apply here. Keep your inbox and texts clean: Perfect for all companies and sites you just know you don’t want to hear from again. (I was re-shopping my car insurance and forgot to do this — boy, do I regret that!) Use a burner. Here are quick, free options for a temporary email and phone number. |
BY THE NUMBERS 27% commission paid To Apple on apps, even when you pay outside of the App Store. Fortnite maker Epic says Apple is violating a court injunction with this move. Why such a big deal? Consumers spent $89.3 billion in the App Store in 2023. Holy moly. 97% less code Needed to train an AI model with this new super-chip. This behemoth has 4 trillion transistors (that’s a lot!). If you thought tech was moving fast, wait till gear like this is in production. 100 days underwater Might just be the fountain of youth. A scientist and retired Navy diver says, according to before and after tests, he de-aged 20 years. The theory is that the high-pressure environment reverses aging at a cellular level. Undersea spa, anyone? |
WHAT THE TECH? Feeling down? Don’t worry, the pesto’s yet to come. |
UNTIL NEXT TIME ... 👩🔬 The answer: ENE. That’s a chemistry term for organic compounds. “FTW” means “For the win,” “LOL” is an acronym for “Laughing out loud” and “OOMF” is short for “One of my friends.” What about these acronyms for older adults? ATD – At the doctor's OMG – Oh, my gout GHA – Got heartburn again OMMR – On my massage recliner HGBM – Had good bowel movement JK, I made those up to make you smile. If you did, rate this newsletter and give me a thumbs-up. Bonus points for forwarding and sharing it with a friend. 🤠 Catch you back here tomorrow with smarts on keeping your info private when you’re shopping or meeting folks online. See you then, partner, with the best tech newsletter in the USA! — Kim |
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