Hope it’s a spectacular Saturday for you, friend. Trivia time! Apple Park covers 175 acres in Cupertino, California, and cost around $5 billion to build. Which of these is not true about Apple’s digs? Is it that … A.) There are seven gourmet cafes, B.) It’s powered entirely by wind energy, C.) Steve Jobs didn’t live to see it open, or D.) It has the world’s largest curved glass panels? Make your best guess and you’ll find the answer at the end!

📻 Listen up! The weekend means my national radio show is airing all across the country. Find your local station or get the show as a podcast so you can listen when and where you want!

Today’s top story is worth sharing. I bet every single one of you knows someone in your life this important info could help. Don’t be shy! Use those social- and email-sharing buttons, and let’s keep our people safe. — Kim

Here’s a stat that blows me away: One in every 10 seniors is a victim of identity theft each year. Americans over the age of 60 lost $3.4 billion in fraud schemes in 2023. That's almost an 11% increase from the year before, and things are only getting worse.

As much as 68% of elder fraud cases start with personal information that’s leaked online. (I use Incogni to fix that problem for me, but more on them later.) Let's dive into which scams hit the hardest and what you and your loved ones can do about it.

A troubling trend

Things aren’t looking any better this year, by the way. From January to May, $1.6 billion in elder fraud losses were reported to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) — almost $300 million more than during the same stretch last year.

So, why do criminals target older adults? It all comes down to money. Crooks rightly assume many older folks have a bigger nest egg and own real estate.

Older adults are also less likely to report fraud, especially when they feel ashamed. For every case of elder fraud reported, as many as 44 cases aren’t. If they do want to report it, many scam victims don’t know where to start and stall out after contacting their local police department.

Worst of the worst

Here are the top reported elder fraud schemes, according to the FBI:

• Tech support scams: Fraudsters pose as tech support agents to trick victims into handing over personal info or paying for scam services.
• Data breaches: Everything from passwords to Social Security numbers end up posted for sale on Dark Web marketplaces.
• Romance scams: Scammers woo their targets and manipulate their emotions to get their money.
• Investment scams: Promises of high returns from trading everything from crypto to real estate with little risk, all that go bad.
• Non-payment or non-delivery scams: Victims order something online and then receive a cheap imitation or nothing at all.
• Government impersonation scams: Bad guys pretend to be police, IRS agents, Medicare employees and others in positions of power.

In 2023, tech support scams were the most widely reported type of elder fraud. Roughly 18,000 victims ages 60 or older reported incidents to the IC3. Investment scams were the costliest, with a staggering $1.2 billion in losses.

‘Yikes, OK. What can I do about it?’

Be on the lookout for the common warning signs of a scam, such as unsolicited calls or texts, strangers contacting you on social media, requests for personal information, offers that sound too good to be true, pressure to act quickly, and demands for payment through unconventional methods (e.g., gift cards, gold bars or wire transfers).

You already have a head start over scammers because you read my newsletter. Staying informed about their latest tricks and tactics is one of the most important things you can control.

What about all the things you can’t control?

… Like when companies leak your data to anyone and everyone? That’s where Incogni comes in.

Think of Incogni as your personal privacy service. They find all the people-search and data-broker sites your info is listed on, and then they submit requests to remove you. It all happens automatically after you set up your Incogni account.

So far, Incogni has wiped my personal info from 380 creepy databases, saving me an estimated 285 hours. Even better, they make sure my info stays off for the long haul.

✅ Right now, while you’re thinking about it, let Incogni do the work to protect your privacy. I negotiated a deal just for you: 60% off. Stop waiting. I’m sure glad I did. A wonderful bonus: My scam calls and texts are down to zero.

Sorry, you’re going to want them all.

• Miss Mouth's Messy Eater Stain Treater Spray ($10) is a water-based, perfume-free stain remover. Small enough to fit in your bag for on-the-go ketchup and blueberry stains.
• Mesh bags are perfect for organizing chargers, plugs, screws, bolts, batteries, pens … I could go on. A six-pack is only $9.
• Get a three-pack of light-blocking sleep masks and put one in your carry-on, one in your suitcase and one by your bed. They’re 20% off right now ($7.99).
• If you’re like me, you have a plethora of USB‑A plugs kicking around your house … and some USB‑C cords. Fix that with these USB‑A‑to‑USB‑C adapters, four for $5.99.
• Headaches, muscle aches, pains, cramps, bad days — there’s not much a hot water bottle can’t fix. This one is easy to fill, comes with a cozy cover and is just $7.99.

🤖 Beware of the good idea fairy: The U.S. government will now get access to OpenAI and Anthropic AI models before they’re accessible to the public. The U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute (wow, sounds fancy) will assess AI’s capabilities and risks. The goal? To keep AI in check and establish safety standards the world can follow (paywall link). There are so many problems with this, I don’t know where to start.

It's not just social media: A scientist says technology as a whole is to blame for the rising mental health crisis. Biologist Richard Dawkins thinks our genetic evolution is too slow to keep up with how fast things have changed. The kicker: Even if we pull the plug on tech, we’re so reliant on it that things might actually get worse.

🆕 Sweet Windows 11 upgrade: A new optional update lets you pass files between your PC and Android phone faster and more easily using Microsoft’s Phone Link app. Bonus upgrade: Windows Narrator (the screen reader function) can scan more text. To update: Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates. Make sure you download KB5041587 and then Restart your PC.

Most Gen Zers have no idea how to type: Just ask Jonah Maier, who stares at his keyboard to hit the right letters (paywall link). Blame schools. In 2000, 44% of graduates took a keyboard course; by 2019, that dropped to 2.5%. Educators just assume the tech-savvy generation knows how to type. Spoiler: They don’t!

🚀 Polaris Dawn: Billionaire Jared Isaacman, the guy who led the first all-civilian spaceflight to orbit Earth, is gearing up to be the first private astronaut to take a spacewalk. The team is zooming there on a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, reaching an altitude not seen since the Apollo moon missions. At around 435 miles from Earth, they’ll open the hatch and exit the spacecraft (paywall link).

Does this toga make my gluteus look maximus? Nearly 2,000 years ago, the Herculaneum papyri scrolls were buried when Mount Vesuvius erupted. The scrolls were too fragile to read — until now. Using AI machine learning and computer vision, researchers can decipher what’s on them without physically unwrapping the delicate material.

🥾 Tell QuickBooks to take a hike already: Discover why thousands are switching to NetSuite’s* superior all-in-one solution. Don't settle for less. Experience real-time insights and streamlined processes, and make decisions based on data, not your gut. Take a free product tour right now!

📚 Turn "da-da" into data: Get your kiddo ready for the future (and AI) with these 30 free STEM resources. The list includes apps, games and classes to teach youngsters stuff like coding, aeronautics, mathematics and, yes, data science. You could have the next little Elon.

Get to the point: Cut to the chase if you’re adding special instructions to your online order. If there’s a gate code, for instance, start the message with “Gate code 1234” (or whatever your code is). Often, those notes get cut short for the delivery person, so put the important stuff right up front.

✂️ Paste without the mess: Use Ctrl + Shift + V on PC or Option + Cmd + Shift + V on Mac to paste text without the formatting.

Smartphone smarts: If yours locks after 10 seconds (too fast) or 2 minutes (too long), change that. On iPhone: Go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Auto-Lock and choose a length of time. On Android: Go to Settings > Display and look for a Timeout, Screen Timeout or Sleep option. I recommend 30 seconds.

📰 Save for later: On Google News, see all the stories you’ve used the heart icon to mark as favorites. Go to google.com/interests/liked to check yours. In the Apple News app, hit the ribbon in the top right to save a story, and then you’ll find it under Saved Stories.

Free AI test drive: Nothing has changed our lives quite like AI has — and will. That’s why you need to start using AI in your business before it’s too late. Take a free test drive of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure now at Oracle.com/kim. No one does data better than Oracle.*

I’m saur‑ee I came up with this. I feel ptero‑bull.

The answer: B.) It’s powered entirely by wind energy. While it’s true Apple Park is powered by 100% renewable energy, it’s mostly solar energy, not wind.

Speaking of … What do you call someone who sees an Apple store getting robbed? An iWitness. (Oh, I know you’re going to steal that one!)

Enjoy the long weekend, folks. I hope you get some extra time with your loved ones. I can’t believe fall is on its way! If you want to share, reply to this email and tell me the best trip you’ve taken so far this year. For me, it was def my trip to Japan! I’ll be back tomorrow with another issue of the best tech newsletter in the USA! — Kim