It’s another spectacular tech Tuesday, friend! For today’s trivia question, did you know 91% of phishing scams originate from just one source? Is it … A.) Phishing emails, B.) Compromised websites, C.) Unsecured Wi‑Fi or D.) Bot networks? See you at the end for the answer!

Let’s do this together. Tell the people in your life about this newsletter. Every little bit helps and keeps this free email coming to you. Forward it, send folks to GetKim.com, or use your unique referral code at the bottom of this email to win prizes. A big, big thanks in advance. — Kim

A woman recently got a message from her mom on Facebook two weeks after her mom died. “Hello, how are you doing today?” it read. Other family members got messages, too — some with, surprise, “Great investment opportunities.”

A so-called “ghost hacker” had struck her mom’s account. It’s a sick new scam. With account owners dead and families focused on grief, the hacking is more likely to go unnoticed. It’s awful, and I want to make sure this doesn’t happen to you or someone you love.

It’s not just trolling and ‘investments’

Scammers also hack social media accounts to leapfrog into banking and retirement accounts, making it easy to steal directly from the person who passed.

Ghost hackers monitor obituaries and death notices for potential targets. Then, they use their arsenal (hacking weak passwords, guessing security questions and accessing previously leaked credentials) to break in.

The best offense is a good defense

I know firsthand there are a ton of administrative tasks to take care of when a close family member dies — everything from canceling cellphone plans to executing the will. This list now also needs to include memorializing or deleting their social media accounts.

Luckily, social networks have processes in place for this. For Facebook, ask Facebook to memorialize the account. You’ll need a link to an obituary. You can also request the profile be removed. Instagram has similar steps to Facebook, and the same goes for X.

Now, take time to protect yourself

On Facebook, you can designate a legacy contact to manage your account if you die. They won’t be able to log in, read your messages or delete friends.

• On mobile, select the three-line icon at the bottom right. Scroll and tap Settings & privacy > Settings. Under “Accounts Center,” tap Personal details > Personal details > Account ownership and control > Memorialization.
• Click your name to select your legacy contact (and notify your contact they’re now in that role). You can also decide if you’d rather have your account deleted after you pass.

✅ I have the full steps here for Google, Instagram, X, and your phone and bank accounts.

Really, you need a digital estate plan

I know it’s not fun to think about, but you’ll be helping your loved ones immensely if you do. Here are my tips for writing this all out.

❤️ Do your loved ones a favor and share this story. Ghost hacking is a big problem, and the more people we can warn, the better.

Solar-powered lights and gadgets for power outages, camping and fun.

• A $20 solar-powered universal phone charger for your go bag (or regular bag).
• A solar radio so you can tune in to The Kim Komando Show, even when the power’s out.
• This is a very reasonable price for a very short sun-warmed shower. (Good for camping!)
• This handheld color-changing lantern would make a great nightlight.
• Upgrade your birdbath with a solar fountain. Tweet!

⚠️ Team Android warning: Banking malware is hiding in a fake version of the McAfee Security app. The scam kicks off with a fake text about an unauthorized transaction. Call the number, and a fraudster convinces you to download a “security” app containing malicious code. You have to be smarter than this.

Shocking crime: A 13-year-old Pennsylvania girl stabbed and killed her mother after her mom took away her cellphone. The girl also stabbed her 11-year-old brother, who survived. She’s being charged as an adult with criminal homicide and aggravated assault. How can something like this happen?

Bundle of joy: Microsoft is splitting up Office 365 and Teams. You have two options — stick with the all-in-one or buy just what you need. The a la carte price is $5.25 a month for Teams, but Office ranges from $7.75 monthly to $54.75, depending on the features. Need a free Office alternative? Here are seven.

Ads are coming: Perplexity, the AI search engine backed by Jeff Bezos and other big-name investors, will soon slip in ads where you're most likely to click — on “related questions” that make up 40% of queries. Pay attention: The web as we know it is completely changing.

RIP, Google Podcasts: It’s no longer supported as of today. Move your subs over to YouTube Music pronto. Open the Google Podcasts app, select Export subscriptions at the top > Export to YouTube Music > Transfer > Continue. Hit Go to Library to view your subscriptions once the transfer is complete.

Roll with it: Kids in California’s Fresno Unified School District now use a new app to ask to go to the restroom. Students get two seven-minute bathroom breaks per day. Those who fail to return in time lose their bathroom rights. Why? Because students are hanging out in the bathrooms for too long, taking selfies.

A new type of porch pirate: An Army vet was busted for lying about his disability to snag benefits, but the real shocker is how they caught him. Kansas cops filmed the guy’s front porch for 68 days, 15 hours a day, warrant-free. The court ruled that since cameras are everywhere, there’s no reasonable expectation of privacy for the front of your home anymore.

Oh, frunk it: The front trunk (“frunk”) door on Tesla’s $81,000 Cybertruck can chop off your fingers. A video on X showed veggies getting the guillotine treatment, making it an obvious and serious safety issue. Most cars with autoclosing doors have sensors for this exact reason.

You’re too close: Holding your phone too close to your face puts extra pressure on your eyes. On iPhones, you can get a friendly warning. Open Settings > Screen time and toggle on Screen distance. Pro tip: If your text is too small, fix that under Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size.

No more email: Need to transfer photos, vids and docs from your Android phone to a Windows PC? Forget email. Use Google Share. It’s free and it works great!

Pros use the 3‑2‑1 backup rule: Three copies of your data (original and two backups) are stored in at least two different formats (like an external drive and in the cloud), with one copy stored offsite. If you have important docs and biz data, store them offsite, too. If it’s just your personal stuff, the cloud will do.

Using Facebook for events? Make sure someone who isn’t invited won’t see the post. From your Home Feed, click Events > Create New Event. Add the details, click Privacy, then select Private. You can’t change this setting after the event is created, so double‑check.

Beep-beep: With a cheap setup, someone can copy the signal from your keyfob to open and steal your car. What can you do? Buy a signal-blocking pouch that can hold your keys, like this $9.99 shielded RFID-blocking one. It works!

Running a successful business comes down to having the right people in the right roles. Hiring is a big job and a huge time-suck — unless you use the tools that make it easier.

LinkedIn is a no-brainer. Millions of people are there every single day hunting for their next career move. We've used it to find superstar team members who make this newsletter and everything else we do possible.

Stop wading through endless resumes from folks who aren't a good fit. LinkedIn's suite of tools makes it easy to find the right person faster. And we can all use a little more time, right?

Beware of a bacon tree. It might be a ham bush.

The answer: A.) Phishing emails are the most common source of cyberattacks by a lot — 91%! Last week, I shared some scammy email subject lines to watch out for. The short version: Beware of urgency, payment demands and attachments!

😜 Since today’s newsletter contains a story about a porch, here’s a good joke for the road. A couple is sitting on their porch, sipping wine. The wife says, “I love you.” The husband says, “Is that you or the wine talking?” The wife replies, “It’s me talking to the wine.”

Don’t be a statistic. Americans lost $1.1 billion in 2023 to impersonation scams. A smart step you can take right now: Protect your five most-used devices from malicious software for just $19 a year. You can’t beat that deal, folks.

And that’s it from me. See you back here tomorrow with a closer look at one of my favorite privacy tools. Until then, stay your amazing tech-loving self! — Kim