Welcome to your Thursday, friend.You know that little "Add to Cart" dopamine hit? The one Amazon basically turned into an Olympic sport?
📚 Wild to think it all started in 1994 with Jeff Bezos selling books out of a garage in Bellevue, Washington. Why books? Easy to ship. More titles than any physical store could carry. His parents bet $245,573 of their retirement savings on the idea. His dad's first question? "What's the internet?" (OK Mike. Fair.)
Today, Amazon has over 300 million active customers, 180 million Prime members in the U.S. alone and fulfillment centers the size of 28 football fields. That garage did OK. Pop quiz: How much revenue does Amazon generate per day?A) $50 million, B) $250 million, C) $750 million or D) $1.7 billion. Pick one. The answer's waiting at the end. It's ridiculous.
🚀 I can't keep this quiet anymore. Next week, I'm launching Splash of AI, a brand-new weekly newsletter all about AI, built for you. Every Thursday. Five minutes. One thing to try, one tool to test, one scam to dodge and one fact that'll make you the smartest person in the room. I've been using AI every day for over three years. It changed how I work, save money and protect my family. Now I'm handing you the playbook. Free. Issue #1 drops next Thursday. Click here to sign up before it lands. — Kim
A data broker sold personal info on 435,000 Alzheimer's patients to anyone who wanted it.
The same company had lists of 2.3 million blind people and 133,000 addiction sufferers. HIPAA does NOT protect you.
California fined them $45,000. That's it. You need to remove yourself from these databases and your family too.
📖 Read time: 2.5 minutes
A Texas company called Datamasters was selling a list of 435,245 people with Alzheimer's disease. Names. Home addresses. Phone numbers. Email addresses. All packaged up and available to anyone with a credit card.
Alzheimer's patients. The people most vulnerable to financial exploitation and online scams on the planet. For sale. That's atrocious.
But that wasn't all. Datamasters also sold records on 2,317,141 blind or visually impaired people, 133,142 addiction sufferers, 857,449 people with bladder control issues and "Hispanic lists" with over 20 million names. They sold lists of seniors and people with high-interest mortgages (aka people likely struggling financially), as well as 3,370 "Consumer Predictor Models" that could tell buyers your probable political affiliation, spending habits and nonprofit donations.
🎯 This made me furious
Alzheimer's patients are especially vulnerable to financial scams. Criminals know it. Investigators found scammers buying lists from data brokers specifically to target people who can't fight back. How do they sleep?
These aren't mailing lists for coupons. They're target lists for predators.
You probably assume HIPAA protects your health information. It doesn't. Not here. HIPAA only applies to health care providers and insurers. Data brokers sit completely outside those rules. There is no federal law stopping a company from collecting the fact that your mom or dad has Alzheimer's and selling it to a stranger.
The fine California hit them with? $45,000. Datamasters' database covers 231 million people. Do the math. That's a fraction of a penny per person.
🔒 Lock it down
Most Americans don't have California's protections. If anyone in your family has a health condition, a disability or a financial vulnerability, their information may already be sitting in a database like this one. Waiting to be sold.
The company got a $45,000 fine. Your family's safety is worth more than that.
😰 Scammers don't guess anymore
Scammers buy your name, home address, phone number, even your parents' and kids' names from data brokers for pennies, or less. Then they call pretending you owe money, your account's been compromised or you missed jury duty. They sound convincing because they know everything about you.
I use Incogni because it fights back for you to remove you from these data brokers records.
Automatically sends legal removal requests to over 420 data brokers and people-search sites, including the ones selling health and vulnerability data.
Keeps scrubbing in the background because brokers re-add your info. Incogni works to removing it again and again.
If your info pops up anywhere else online, send the link to their privacy experts, and they handle it for you.
📩 Know someone who's caring for a family member or friend? Forward this right now. Someone they know could be on one of these lists. That's not a hypothetical. Forward this newsletter or use the handy icons below.
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Did Meta knowingly addict your child to Instagram? That's what a jury is deciding in a landmark trial in Los Angeles that could change how your family uses the internet forever.
🎧 Or search "Komando" wherever you get your podcasts. I'm everywhere.
WEB WATERCOOLER
😱 Bill Gates speaks Epstein: After I'm sure hiring the most expensive PR people and strategists, the Microsoft co-founder worth $108 billion, apologized for his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In a recorded town hall obtained by the Wall Street Journal, the tech titan admitted he flew on Epstein's private jet, met him across four countries, and confessed to two affairs with Russian women that Epstein arranged and then he used as leverage. But wait there's more. Epstein's emails claim Gates asked him for antibiotics to secretly give to then-wife Melinda to cover up an STI. Even Gates can't put a good Word document together when the track changes show everything.
Payroll meets ransomware: Ever file for unemployment or use SNAP and think, Wow, at least the paperwork is over? Guess again. Conduent, the behind-the-curtain contractor that helps run benefits programs and also does payroll for big companies, updated the head count on its ransomware hack, at least 25 million people. The data isn't harmless, it can include SSNs and bank account details. If you've been putting off a credit freeze, this is your sign.
Calendar got hacked: This scam's stupid-simple. You tap a sketchy link, your iPhone adds a Subscribed Calendar, and suddenly you're getting nonstop pop-ups like virus alerts, prize wins and call-this-number panic bait. Apple forum threads have thousands of "omg me too" reports. If your calendar starts screaming, go to Settings > Calendar > Accounts > Subscribed Calendars and delete the weird one.
Zombie router army: Still rocking the same Wi-Fi router since Obama's first term? The FBI has a warning: Old end-of-life routers are getting hijacked. The crazy part? Antivirus won't save you, because the malware lives inside the router, not your laptop. They called out older Linksys models, E1200, E2500, E4200, WRT320N, M10 (2010-ish and older), where remote admin features can get exploited and pulled into botnets or proxy networks. Time to upgrade? Here's a solid pick.
🦅 Big Bear's favorite celebrity couple is back: Bald eagles Jackie and Shadow, stars of one of the internet's most-watched livestreams, laid a third egg after heartbreak. Their first two eggs were cracked and then raided by a raven. Fans were devastated. But Jackie's hormones reset, and she dropped a surprise egg. She could even lay a fourth. Watch it live here. Eagles have so many skills. One could say they are very talon-ted.
Steam mop with detachable cleaner | Limited-time deal 4.3 stars | 2,200+ reviews Heats up in 10 seconds with two steam levels from light touch-ups to deep scrubs. Pop off the handheld, so you don't miss any tight spots. (40% off, $67) | Get it →
👍 Your hands deserve better than dishwater wrinkles.
Reusable cleaning gloves | Four-pack 4.6 stars | 9,000+ reviews They're flexible and nonslip, even on slick plates. Long cuffs help keep water out while you handle dishes, sinks or bathroom grime. (30% off, $7) | Get it →
🧹 That sad old broom? Time to retire it.
Broom & dustpan set | #1 bestseller 4.4 stars | 47,900+ reviews This dustpan locks in place and stands upright to save your back. Built-in comb teeth pull hair and dust from bristles as you sweep. (33% off, $27) | Get it →
🥱 One spill can ruin a very expensive nap.
Waterproof mattress protector | 12 sizes 4.6 stars | 129,000+ reviews The fabric is absorbent but still breathable, so you won't feel like you're sleeping on plastic. Protects against allergens and creepy-crawlies, too. (30% off, $21) | Get it →
⏰ Neck pain shouldn't be your morning alarm.
Shredded memory foam pillows | Limited-time deal 4.5 stars | 19,200+ reviews Add or remove fill to dial in the height and feel you like. The shredded memory foam cushions your head and neck. Perfect for side, back and stomach sleepers. (38% off, $59) | Get it →
One click. All five picks land in your Amazon cart with today's prices.
You saved $105 today.
If you grabbed all five picks at today's prices
DEVICE ADVICE
⚡️ 3-second tech genius:Google Docs has a built-in dictionary nobody uses. Right-click any word and hit Define. Full definition, synonyms, right there in a side panel. No more opening a new tab because your brain blanked on the perfect word. You're welcome.
⌨️ Chrome shortcuts you'll use every day:Ctrl + W (Mac: ⌘ + W) closes a tab. Closed the wrong one? Ctrl + Shift + T (Mac: ⌘ + Shift + T) brings it back from the dead. Bookmark a page: Ctrl + D. Save ALL your open tabs at once: Ctrl + Shift + D. Jump to Downloads: Ctrl + J. Learn these once, look like a genius forever.
🔒 Lock your Social Security number before someone else uses it: Two official ways. First, E-Verify's Self Lock: Create an account at e-verify.gov, answer three challenge questions, done. If someone tries to use your SSN for employment, it flags a mismatch. Second option: Block electronic access entirely through the SSA. Call 1-800-772-1213, or visit a local office. FYI, this blocks everyone, including you, until you verify yourself again.
🖨️ Your printer has been choosing itself this whole time: That auto-picker Windows uses? It just sends your job to whatever printer it feels like. Stop the chaos. On Windows: Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Printers & Scanners, then toggle off Let Windows manage my default printer. Pick your own. On Mac: System Settings > Printers & Scanners > Default Printer. No physical printer? Set it to Print to PDF. Crisis averted.
💸 Stop paying for things you don't use: Apps and streaming services count on you forgetting those "free" trials. They're quietly draining your bank account every single month. Rocket Money finds every hidden subscription instantly and cancels the junk for you. I saved $478 a year doing this. Stop wasting cash. Try it right now.*
WHAT THE TECH?
Image: GLYDE
✂️ Blade runner
You know how haircuts are basically a subscription service to your own scalp?
Meet GLYDE, an AI-powered clipper that promises a clean fade in under 10 minutes. It uses built-in motion sensors to track your angle and speed, auto-adjusts the blade in real time and runs for two hours.
There's even a literal "fade-band" to mark your starting line like a track meet for your head. It's a self-driving lawn mower, for your skull. I didn't like it at first but it's growing on me.
LOGGING OUT …
🔜 Tomorrow: Think removing photo metadata keeps you safe? Not anymore, geolocation AI can pin you down from background clues like trees, architecture and even sunlight. I'll break down how it works and the fast settings to change.
📦 The answer: D) Approximately $1.7 billion per day. That's about $70 million per hour, $1.2 million per minute and nearly $20,000 per second.
In the time it took you to read this answer, Amazon made more than most Americans earn in a year. Its best-selling product category? Electronics, followed by clothing. And the very first item ever sold on the site? A book called Fluid Concepts and Creative Analogies by Douglas Hofstadter, bought by a computer scientist in 1995. That customer now has a building at Amazon named after him.
Don't order hay for the horse on Amazon. A few days later, they'll ask for your feed back. (🐴 Yeah, that one hurt me, too. Nay!)
📜 I read the fine print so you don't have to. It's my passion. Thanks for being here. — Kim
Kim Komando • Komando.com • 510+ radio stations • Trusted by millions daily
🏆 THE KIM CHALLENGE:Forward this to ONE person who needs to hear it today. Pick the person who popped into your head while reading. You know who it is.
Companies and products denoted by an asterisk (*) within this publication are paid sponsors or advertisements. As an Amazon Associate, the publisher earns from qualifying purchases. Statements regarding products denoted by a double asterisk (**) have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration; such products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This newsletter is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, medical, or professional advice of any kind. Readers should consult with a qualified professional before making any decisions based on this content. The publisher disclaims all liability for any loss, damage, or injury resulting from the use of or reliance on the information contained herein.
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Keep a civil tongue.