It’s the start of a busy holiday week, friend! You might be traveling and have the same question as Kristy in Austin: “Kim, what’s the most accurate weather app?” The top three are from The Weather Channel, AccuWeather and WeatherBug. If you’re a weather nerd, MyRadar is also tops. Try them all! It’s hard to say which one is the raining champion.

Are you ghosting me? Stop that! Don’t miss out on the security alerts, tips and fun I post on social media. If you’re not following me already, hit these links for Instagram, X, YouTube and Facebook, and say, “I go Komando!” Yeah, I know what that means. 😉 — Kim

To keep you and your money safe, I make it a point to always let you know about the spreading scams, from crypto catfishing to AI deepfakes. I bet you’re going to be surprised by this news: The crime that shot up 400% last year is old-school check fraud.

It’s not high-tech, but it is highly effective. In 2023, check scammers stole $26.2 billion from Americans like you and me, right out of our mailboxes.

How crooks write themselves a blank check

Scammers coordinate in private groups on Telegram, Facebook or TikTok to share tips and sell tools that make it easy for scams to spread. One of their tricks? Buying universal keys that can open any USPS drop box or snapping up books of blank checks from the Dark Web.

But plenty of crooks just swipe checks right from your mailbox. Then, they use simple household chemicals like acetone to dissolve the ink and write themselves (or their alias) some spending money.

Fraudsters deposit their haul at an ATM or right from their couch through a banking app, then they withdraw the cash in chunks so it doesn’t trigger alerts. Before you or your bank know it, they’re on their way to the casino, buying designer goods or investing in real estate — you name it.

What are banks doing about it?

Banks are cracking down on fraud with stricter deposit policies and extended hold times on deposits. So, if you’ve noticed your funds aren’t clearing as fast as they used to, it’s because banks are taking extra time to verify deposits for potential fraud.

A recent viral TikTok glitch exploited J.P. Morgan's instant access feature for deposits from bad checks. Scammers flooded in, and many ended up being sued — proof crime doesn’t pay.

5 ways to protect yourself and your money

If any of your checks go missing or you suspect fraud, file a report immediately — not just with your bank, but also with USPS and your local police department. Be sure to ask for a case number so you can track the progress of your claim.

😂 The biggest checkwriters are baby boomers. They don’t like change.

🎁 Useful gifts they’ll appreciate … because no one needs another ugly sweater.

👥 Your body = Their revenue stream: You know that health tracker you're wearing? The companies behind these trackers and wellness apps are selling your body-centric data to third parties, leading you to have higher insurance premiums, receive more targeted ads or worse. Current laws offer little protection, and you opt in when you agree to use the apps. You might want to pretend to be someone else if you have health issues, just sayin’.

Good enough for government work: Elon Musk is talking about bloated government departments and wasted taxpayer dollars in posts to his 205 million X followers. He’s targeting specific federal employees, too, like Ashley Thomas, who makes $172,075 a year as the director of climate diversification for the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. This sparked a ton of memes and ridicule, such as, “Sorry Ashley Thomas Gravy Train is Over.” Ouch.

Another scam heading our way: Cyber authorities in Switzerland are warning about malicious QR codes being sent through snail mail. Fraudsters are urging people to scan and download a new Severe Weather Warning app, but it’s actually malware. Once installed, hackers can take over your phone, steal info from your banking apps and stay hidden from detection. If it’s working there, it’s coming to the U.S., too.

💸 Thinking about opening an e-commerce store? Be careful who you trust. One guy lost $56,000 after paying Ascend CapVentures Inc. to open and manage an Amazon storefront on his behalf. They dangled six-figure sales projections but didn’t deliver. Even worse, they stocked his store with counterfeit products that got him banned.

The agony of de feet: Scientists have created robotic shorts that help people walk farther using less energy. WalkON wraps around your waist with a harness and has artificial Kevlar tendons that attach to your legs. As you walk, the shorts analyze your movement patterns and help take the strain off your hips. So many people will benefit from this cool tech.

🚨 Windows alert: Microsoft is rolling out its nosy Recall feature for Windows 11 Copilot+ PCs. The tool records almost everything on your screen to help you find files or websites you’ve accessed. After backlash over privacy concerns, the data will be encrypted and snapshots of sensitive info won’t be taken — but I still wouldn’t trust it. Recall is opt-in only, so you can skip it … for now.

You heard it here first: In May 2023, I told you about TSA's facial recognition program. Basically, you look into the camera and it takes your pic to verify you. Now, some senators are saying the TSA wants it mandatory in over 430 airports, but we don’t know where this data is going or how it’s protected. You can opt out: Step back from the camera, politely tell them you decline facial recognition and present your ID instead.

Are you still relying on QuickBooks? There’s a smarter, more powerful solution waiting for you. Here’s why NetSuite by Oracle is the right choice for your business:

Whether your business earns hundreds of thousands or hundreds of millions, who wouldn’t want less manual work, better decision-making and higher profits? Now’s the time to make the switch.

🚨 Contest ends TODAY: This is it — your final chance to win an iPhone 16 Pro with Apple Intelligence ($999 value), no purchase necessary. Hit this link to enter. Good luck!

Stop creating the same proposal from scratch: In Google Docs, create a template with placeholders like “[client name]” or “[date].” To reuse it, go to File > Make a copy. In Word, create your doc, then select File > Save As > Word Template. Open it for future proposals, fill in the placeholders and save it like normal. Genius. Speaking of which, why not join the list for my free small-biz newsletter? You’ll love it.

🌲 Over the river and through the woods: See the best time to leave for Grandma’s house (or anywhere else) without arguing. In Apple Maps, press the Now button on the left to open a calendar. In Google Maps, tap the three dots at the top right. For both, select Leave/Depart at or Arrive by and hit Done.

For PC pros: Don’t like logging into Microsoft every time you use your computer? Don’t even want a Microsoft account? UnattendedWinstall is a script that sidesteps the Windows login prompt. You can download it on this GitHub page. This video gives a great walkthrough of the process. Only do this if you’re a techie, OK?

🛑 Stop letting Big Tech decide what you see: StartMail is my pick for privacy-first email. It’s super easy to switch over your contacts and mail, or you can treat it as a fresh inbox for only your VIPs. Save 60% now with my special link.*

A trio of Mac quick tips: If you don’t know, now you do! 1.) Click a file and press the spacebar to preview it, 2.) Click an open spot on your desktop to pull all your open windows to the sides, and 3.) Hit the Option key any time you have a menu open to see hidden options.

✈️ Flying away? Uber’s got three new features to make your airport trips easier. The first, UberXXL, gets you a bigger car with extra trunk space for groups. The second, UberX Share, allows you to pay 25% by sharing a ride with someone heading your way. It’s available now at select airports. And finally, with Uber Reserve, you can have a car waiting for you when you land.

They’re joking, obvious-leigh!

See ya tomorrow! But first, a quick tip to free up some space on your computer:

👋 Delete any big files you don’t need. My computer had files so massive, I probably should’ve been charging them rent.

Wowsie, today’s issue was jampacked. I’ll be back tomorrow with another issue of the best tech newsletter in the USA. On tap: Porch pirates have new tricks. I’ll help you outsmart them. — Kim