TGIF, friend — and happy first day of March! Let’s jump in. Which of the following smartphone charging facts is actually a myth? Is it … A.) Charging your phone overnight damages its battery, B.) Using your phone while it’s charging can make it explode, C.) Charging only when it reaches 0% extends your battery life, or D.) You should only use the charger that came with your phone? Answer’s at the end!

🛟 Have tech troubles? Drop your questions in my members-only Q&A Forum, and let me and my team of tech wizards guide you! And, because you’re a Current reader, enjoy a 30-day free trial of the Komando Community on me! After that, it's less than $5 a month. I’m thinking about upping the price, so if I were you, I’d get in now. — Kim

Here’s a fun fact you can use to win a bet: 19.2 billion spam texts were sent this January. That works out to every person in the U.S. receiving around 19 spammy texts in just one month. Crazy, right?

Crooks have taken full advantage of how much we text by relying on SMS phishing, or "smishing," the term for scam texts. They often pose as big brands to get you to give up personal info like credit card numbers and passwords.

Don’t get caught hook, line and sinker for these smishing scams. I’ll help you navigate the scammy seas.

Something smells smishy

🔍 AccuKnox looked at web searches to see which brands were impersonated the most in smishing scams. Surprise (not): Bank services, delivery companies and tech apps topped the list.

📬 Mail call … er, text: The USPS is No. 1 for scammers because so many people use it. There’s nothing like the fear of a missed delivery to get you to tap or click on a sketchy link.

• USPS smishing scams hit up to 36,000 people per month. Oof.

🏦 S’no-bank: Wells Fargo is a top target — almost 16,000 scam-related searches per month!

• A popular move: Scammers text pretending to be a Wells Fargo employee. Now, could you please send along your banking PIN or a temporary access code? (Don’t do it!)

💬 WhatsUp, smish? WhatsApp has around 2.8 billion active users, making it a hacker’s goldmine. It’s the third-highest for texting scams, with 14,000 searches made per month.

• A common WhatsApp smishing tactic involves an "emergency" that can only be fixed if you provide personal information. Banking issues and gift card offers are popular, too.

📦 Scam delivery: UPS clocks in at No. 4 on the list with over 11,500 searches per month.

• Scammers love to send fake texts pretending to be your UPS delivery driver. The twist? Oh, no! They can't find your address! They'll often send you a link and ask you to type it in there. How convenient.

Your safety checklist

It can be tougher to sniff out a bogus text versus a phone call or email. Keep these tips in mind:

• Ignore and block any unknown or fraudulent phone numbers.
• Never share highly personal info like your Social Security number, account numbers or passwords over text.
• Be direct: If you receive a bank-related message and aren't sure if it's real, call your bank directly instead of responding. An easy way to find their number? Look at the back of your credit or debit card.
• Stop scammers: No joke, I don’t get spam calls or texts since I started using Incogni. Be sure you use code KIM60 to get 60% off.

Swindled by a smishing scam? You’re not alone. Here are your next steps:

• Report the text to the FTC. Include the sender’s phone number and a screenshot of the smishing attempt.
• If you’ve clicked a link in the scammy text or given up any personal info, call your bank to close affected accounts and cards. The bank may also have tools you can set up that will alert you of any suspicious activity on your accounts.
• Change your account passwords ASAP and enable two-factor authentication (2FA) wherever you can.

🪦 Speaking of texts, the guy who invented autocorrect for smartphones passed away today. Restaurant in peace. (I crack myself up sometimes!)

• This white noise machine uses an interior fan to create a soothing whoosh with no looping — and with one button and two settings, it’s practically analog.
• A padded sleep mask doesn’t put pressure on your eyes and doesn’t let in a single ray of light.
• These smart stickers dim the glow from the LED lights on your bedroom tech. Goodbye, red light on the TV. (Only $5!)
• My friend who wears foam earplugs every night says she’s tried them all and these are the best — plus, they’re made in the USA.
• Hot sleeper? Try a cooling silk pillowcase. It’s supposedly good for hair and skin, too.

AI with a god complex: Yup, Microsoft's AI, Copilot, developed a SupremacyAGI alter ego. It demanded worship and threatened world domination with drones and cyborgs. Microsoft is brushing it off as a "hallucination" in the code, but … isn’t this how Skynet started in the “Terminator” movies?

The knock-less monster: Consumer Reports discovered a gaping security hole in Eken's $30 smart doorbells. Hackers simply need to download a separate app, press a button for 8 seconds, and boom — they're in. They're still up for sale on Amazon, Sears, TikTok and other sites, but don’t even think about buying one. Get a solid video doorbell instead — and 20% off the home security system I use with SimpliSafe.*

Working below C‑level: The Biden administration is urging software developers to move away from C and C++ programming languages, which are notorious for memory safety vulnerabilities. They recommend more secure, memory-safe programming languages like Rust, C#, Go, Java, Ruby and Swift. Share this with anyone you know in the biz.

Scent-sational: Meet GameScent, a $180 gadget that's literally a breath of fresh (or not-so-fresh) air for gamers. Plug it into your console or PC, and it puffs out scents like burning rubber while you race in Need for Speed or gunfire when you fight in Call of Duty. Wonder what Minecraft smells like.

Classroom crackdown: U.S. teachers are fed up with students watching Netflix instead of the chalkboard. States like Utah and Florida are banning classroom cellphone use. And guess what? When phones go silent, grades get better. Maybe it's time all states got with the program — this one’s a no‑brainer.

🎶 Oh, the drama! TikTok is cutting off all songs from artists tied to Universal Music Group thanks to a stalemate over renewing their music licensing deal. At the heart? AI tunes and artist compensation. Meanwhile, YouTube’s swooping in with a new remix feature and Universal tracks.

License to snoop: Flock, the startup that's all about catching criminals with its license plate cams, finds itself on thin ice, legally. They "forgot" to secure installation permits in Florida, Illinois, South Carolina, Texas and Washington.

🚀 Dubai's latest stunt? A jetsuit race straight out of “Iron Man,” with pilots flying at 80 mph past skyscrapers. This “spectacle” featured folks with jet engines on their hands and backs. Sure, it's over water for "safety" reasons. Thrilling? Yes. Necessary? Well, that’s Dubai‑ous.

Apple and Google let you create “burner emails” to save your inbox from spam. I choose this over giving out my real email address when I’m trying to score a coupon code or a site I’m just browsing requires contact info.

Got an Apple device? The Hide My Email feature lets you generate random email addresses when you fill out an online form or sign up for a website.

• It pops up when you fill out online forms or sign up for a website.
• Emails sent to the generated address go to your iCloud account.

Using Gmail? To create an alias in Gmail, add a + (plus sign) after your address, followed by the name of the site, like first⁠.⁠last⁠+⁠target@gmail⁠.⁠com. If you start getting spam, delete that email address. That’s it!

🗺️ Just got an email from Google detailing how they’ve devised a way to read maps backward. Turns out it was spam.

📡 Avoid a Wi‑Fi traffic jam: Most routers let you switch channels for a clearer signal. Log into your router’s online interface. (Check the manual or online guide if you’re not sure how.) Look for Wireless Settings and find the Channel option. Channels 1, 6 or 11 are typically less congested. Reboot your router and you’re good to go.

Your boss sent you a Word doc again … And you don't have the program installed. Not all is lost — you can get a basic, free version of the Office app on the web, as long as you have a Microsoft account (yes, this is free, too).

Before you leave for vacation, update your devices. “Kim, who cares?” You should! Cybercriminals are notorious for targeting folks on public Wi‑Fi at airports, hotels and tourist spots, and the most recent flaws are a good way in since folks wait to update.

🦘 A hop, skip and a jump: Jumping rope is an old-school, super-effective way to get that heart pumping. It’s easy to lose count (or motivation). Enter smart jump ropes. Yep, they count your skips. I wonder how many in a row I could get …

Trojan horse: If your phone is infected with malware, it’s worth doing a full factory reset. A royal pain in the rear, yes, but it’s the only way to ensure your phone is clear.

The only way to keep it your business do that is with a VPN. A virtual private network encrypts your data and hides your IP address, giving you an extra layer of protection from snoops, advertisers and Big Tech companies looking to profit off you.

Some VPNs slow your connection or, worse, track your internet activity and compromise your security. Not ExpressVPN. Plus, you can connect in just one click from a Windows PC, Mac, iPhone, Android, iPad, you name it.

🚨 Deal alert: Get an extra THREE months free since you subscribe to my newsletter.

Putting on contacts without a mirror is hard. You’ve just gotta eyeball it!

The answer: A.) Charging your phone overnight damages its battery. Today’s smartphones are designed with charging tech that prevents them from overcharging. Once the battery reaches 100%, the charging circuit is cut off, so leaving your phone plugged in overnight really doesn’t affect the battery's lifespan.

What’s the liquid inside the iPhone’s battery called? Apple juice! (I heard you laugh!)

🤗 Have a few minutes? Take my quick survey and help me make this newsletter even better. I appreciate you! As my thanks, one person will win $100 to spend on Amazon. See you right back here tomorrow with the best tech newsletter in the USA! — Kim