| China stole U.S. Treasury docs, AI stalking tool, humans vs. bots in a foot race ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏  In partnership with SimpliSafe | | Hey there, it's a techy Tuesday, friend. Ever wondered if you could land a job at Google? Their interview process is infamously tricky. Here's an interview question an ex-employee says left many hopefuls scratching their heads. Put on your thinking cap, and I'll break down the answer for you at the end. "There's a coffee shop in San Francisco. It has unlimited supply and demand. It has all the coffee beans, coffee cups and teas in the world, and the customer line always wraps around the block. The coffee shop is roughly 500 square feet. So, how many cups of coffee can this coffee shop produce in one day?" 👋 Do me a quick favor! Hit "Reply" and say "Hi" (or anything else on your mind). This small action tells those sneaky Big Tech algorithms you want my content, helping to keep it out of promotions or junk folders. Take control of your inbox and make it your choice! Now, on to the tech smarts to keep you tech-ahead and never tech-behind in the digital dust! — Kim 📣 Don't keep me a secret: Share the email with friends (or copy URL here) | TODAY'S TOP STORY Red flags a rental is a scam  It's that time of year when so many of us are planning vacations and booking a rental. Sadly, scammers are very aware of that, and they're always changing their tricks to fool people out of their money, rentals — or worse. One of the most prolific thieves scammed people out of $7 million over just two years. He listed 100 properties across the U.S. and accepted 10,000 offers. His bait-and-switch schemes worked … till he got caught. Being familiar with the red flags can save you from being a victim. And that's why I'm here today — to give you the know‑how. 1. Suspicious photos Does the picture of that beachfront property look like it's straight out of a pricey photoshoot? Images that are just a little too polished should raise your eyebrows. Try a reverse image search to see if a pic pops up elsewhere online. How? Open a pic, right-click on it, then choose Search Image or similar in your browser. 2. That doesn't add up Some hosts list a property at different price points on multiple platforms. The highest bidder wins, so your stay could get canceled if they find someone who'll pay more. But wait — it could also be a "phantom rental." In this scheme, crooks cook up a completely fake listing using a bogus address and photos and run away with your money. 3. Under pressure When you're rushed into making a decision, you're more likely to overlook serious flaws in the listing. A legitimate host won't rush you into sealing the deal. 4. 'Can you send me a gift card?' Always pay through the rental site. Secure payment methods include debit, credit and sometimes a direct bank transfer. Never pay using gift cards, a cash app, crypto or a certified check. 5. Too good to be true If the price of a luxurious property seems unbelievably low, pause. Scammers often bait victims with dream deals way below market value. Compare similar listings in the area. If the price is an outlier, it's a major red flag. 6. OK, something stinks Don't trust everything you read. Be wary of a large number of reviews posted around the same date, for instance. Yeah, 12 reviews in a row is a red flag. Been duped? Your next steps If you've fallen victim to a vacation rental scam, you're not alone. Even the savviest travelers can get hoodwinked. Here's what to do: - Contact the authorities: Report the scam to your local police department and file a complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). If the scam involves a cross-border transaction, notify the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
- Reach out to the booking platform: If you booked through a site like Airbnb or Vrbo, contact their customer service immediately. They have fraud protection policies to help recover your funds.
- Secure your finances: If you paid via credit or debit card outside of a reputable website, freeze your account and contact your bank or card issuer ASAP, then request a chargeback. If you used a payment app like PayPal, Venmo or Cash App, contact their support team to dispute the transaction.
- Report to consumer agencies: File a report with your country's consumer protection agency, such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB) or your state attorney general's office.
- Warn others: Leave reviews or post about your experience on travel forums and social media to alert other potential renters. Sharing details might help someone else avoid the same trap.
- Review your cybersecurity: Scammers may have obtained additional information from you. Change any passwords tied to your accounts and monitor for suspicious activity.
👁️🗨️ And don't forget to look for hidden cameras. Say you get to your vacation rental and it all looks great. Sorry, but it's time to check for hidden cams. I found a dozen once! Steps here if you need a how‑to. I'll tell you one thing … When you think about it, "The Shining" is just a story about one family's Airbnb stay gone horribly wrong. 🏝️ Help your family and friends. Use the share icons below to spread this know-how and put the scammers out of business! | KIM KOMANDO TODAY She's teaching engineering lessons on Pornhub A Ph.D. student quit her degree to focus on content creation, and she's making millions doing it. Tap or click below to play this podcast now. Use this link to listen on Komando.com → | DEALS OF THE DAY Stuff I use a lot and like Help! My cart is overflowing! - I wear this weighted vest (20% off) when walking to burn more calories and increase my bone density. Pro tip: Order one that's 10% of your body weight.
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🛌 I love sliding into fresh sheets. If yours have seen better days, these crazy-popular cooling sheets are extra soft and on sale right now (41% off, $30). | WEB WATERCOOLER 🚨 National security alert: Chinese hackers breached the U.S. Department of Treasury, gaining access to over 400 computers, including those belonging to the Secretary and other top officials. Over 3,000 files were compromised, exposing sensitive info about sanctions, law enforcement and international affairs. An investigation is underway, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. AI stalking: GeoSpy is an AI tool trained on millions of images, and it uses details like architecture style to pinpoint a photo's location in seconds. It's been publicly available for months, and creeps are using it for stalking. Now, the service is locked to permission-only and marketed to the government … because that's so much better. Jobs at stake: In the coming weeks, OpenAI is expected to announce Ph.D.-level bots capable of handling complex human tasks. This is what Mark Zuckerberg mentioned recently on Joe Rogan's podcast. AI upgrades this year could replace mid-level software engineers and write their own code. We're moving far beyond single command prompts, folks. Good thing you're here so you're in the know. 😡 Another AI porn scandal: This time, it's targeting teenage girls at a private school in Pennsylvania. One mom says her 14-year-old daughter cried hysterically when she found fake nude photos of herself circulating amongst her peers. The alleged perpetrators, two boys, saved her photos off social media, altered them with AI, and then shared them on Discord. The agony of de-feet: Beijing is hosting the world's first human-robot marathon in April. Picture this: 12,000 human runners competing alongside humanoid robots, all vying for cash prizes awarded to the top three finishes. The catch? The robots must look human and use bipedal legs to walk or run; wheels are strictly forbidden. 🎾 This is causing quite a racket: The Australian Open is live on YouTube … sort of. Due to broadcast rights sold to media companies, live coverage is limited to animated avatars playing on a computer-generated court. It's less Grand Slam and more Nintendo Wii. Don't believe me? Check out this hilarious Week 1 recap. Unbelievable. Can you read cursive handwriting? Now, this is something. The National Archives needs volunteers to help transcribe over 200 years of handwritten historical documents. Most are from the Revolutionary War era, including pension records, geographers' field notes, and immigration and census records. Interested? Sign up online to get started and preserve the past. What a fun thing to do! | | IN PARTNERSHIP WITH |  | Your family is worth it Imagine waking up in the middle of the night to an intruder in your home. A burglary happens every 30 seconds in the U.S., and homes without a security system are three times more likely to be targeted. Right now, get 50% off when you buy a SimpliSafe system. Here's why you need SimpliSafe: - Peace of mind 24/7: Professionally monitored security to protect your home and loved ones day and night, with agents who can help stop intruders in real time.
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Get 50% off with a select professional monitoring plan. → Please support our sponsors! | TECH LIFE UPGRADES 🤝 "Can I pick your brain?" I can't stand it when someone asks me that. A better way? "I have an idea. Can I run it by you?" After over 25 years of running a successful debt-free business, I've seen it all. Got a question about tech, business or life? Let me help. Just drop a note here on my site. I read every single one. Drowning in numbers? Your favorite AI chatbot has your back if you're brainstorming or need to jazz up a presentation. Plug in a list of numbers or any other data and prompt, "Analyze this information. Explain any trends or insights you find." Uploading a pic also works. "Hey, Kim, what was the name of that …": I get so many questions about our security sponsors. You need five security products. I put together a handy resource where you can find what they do, links and deals I've negotiated just for you. 📵 No phone needed: Use the Snipping Tool to scan QR codes on Windows 11. Just press and hold the Windows key + Shift + S at the same time. This opens up the snipping screen. Then, click and drag your mouse over the QR code. You'll see a link pop up that you can click. Mac hack: Low Data mode is a lifesaver if you're stuck using a hotspot or have a slow connection. Click the Apple logo > System Settings > Wi‑Fi to see the network you're connected to. Tap on it, then choose Details and enable Low Data mode. FYI: You'll have to do this for each network you connect to. On the cheap: Ever wonder what happens to all the surplus inventory from online retailers? Liquidation.com hawks packages and undelivered goods from Amazon, Target, Walmart and The Home Depot. You can filter by brand or retailer. Stop putting it off: With Fabric, you can get term life insurance set up in a few minutes* with no health exam required. You'll be glad to check that off your to-do list. | BY THE NUMBERS 3 How many times a week you should snack on baby carrots. Researchers found frequency "significantly increased" skin carotenoids, which are associated with less inflammation and lower risk of heart disease. Crunch on! $5 to $50 Drop in Apple's trade-in values for iPhones, iPads, Macs and Apple Watch models. You used to get up to $650 for an iPhone 15 Pro Max; now, it's $630 at best. Hit this page to check your new trade-in value. $24,000 What reality star Spencer Pratt got in donations on TikTok after he and his wife, Heidi Montag, lost their home in the LA wildfires. They got another $125,000 on GoFundMe. Keep in mind the couple made anywhere from $70,000 to $90,000 per episode of "The Hills" and, until the fire, bragged on social media about their luxury lifestyle, including a $1 million wardrobe. The Pratts had insurance. If you want to help victims of the fires, I have a better idea: Donate to RedCross.org. | WHAT THE TECH?  You can't feel crabby looking at this little guy. He's all over social media as the world's cutest crab. It's just claw‑some! | UNTIL NEXT TIME ... So, about that coffee shop. You probably guessed by now there's no one right answer. It's a clever way for your interviewer to see your reasoning skills. Any answer is correct if you can make an argument for it. Here's mine: - Physical space: The coffee shop is only 500 square feet. You can squeeze at least seven coffee machines in that space.
- Time per cup: A commercial coffee machine can produce one cup of coffee every 20 seconds, or three cups per minute.
- Baristas: They're hustling with no downtime. The shop runs 24/7.
Output for one machine: - If the machine produces three cups per minute, in one hour, it can make 180 cups (3 cups/minute * 60 minutes/hour = 180 cups/hour).
- Over 24 hours, the machine's output is 4,320 cups (180 cups/hour * 24 hours/day = 4,320 cups/day).
But there are seven machines, which brings the daily total to 30,240 cups. Phew, that's enough thinking for one day. I'll see you right back here tomorrow for another issue of the best tech newsletter in the USA! Until then, stay your amazing self! — Kim | How'd we do? What did you think of today's issue? | | |
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