Wow, it’s Friday! This week just flew by. Speaking of flying, flying taxis are coming to New York City. You can go from lower Manhattan to JFK in 7 minutes versus an hour. What year will this venture take off? Make your best guess, and you’ll find the answer at the end.

💻 Let’s jump into another day of tech smarts. I have a lot to share. OK, I guess that’s true every day … — Kim

It's my job to assist people with their digital problems, and it's sad how often that means helping folks sort out a scam — or being the one to break the news to them.

Sorry, that new girlfriend isn't into you. She just wants your money. It happens more often than you'd think — to men and women alike.

I deal with this all the time, but this number still blew me away: 55% of Americans report being scammed. One in three is a victim of identity theft. Major yikes.

The more you know about this stuff, the safer you and your digital identity are.

Scammed: By the numbers

Scams aren't just an emotional rollercoaster. They pack a financial punch, too. One-third of scam victims say they've lost money in the last three years. The average scam costs them around $1,500.

Here's what else the survey uncovered:

• 29% of Americans were scammed within the last year.
• Over half have had information stolen in a data breach.

Online shopping scams, credit card scams and identity theft are the most common ways to lose money. Two out of five victims said they didn't report what happened because it wasn't that much money.

Some were too embarrassed to tell anyone what happened. Others simply weren't sure how to report this kind of theft. (I'll help with that below.)

As bad as it gets

Online crooks are getting more sophisticated as we speak. But offline scams are still alive and well and just as devastating.

A Nashville woman received a call from someone pretending to be from the El Paso, Texas, Border Patrol office. They told her a package bound for her address contained narcotics and documents.

She was asked to pull out $10,000 at a time and put it into Bitcoin machines to safeguard her money. You're probably thinking, "Who would go that far?"

Unfortunately, whoever called her stole her identity previously and already had tons of her personal information. It was easy for them to sound convincing enough for her to fall for their scheme.

Another woman was closing her bar tab when she realized her wallet was missing. What she thought was only a minor inconvenience turned into a years-long nightmare.

Thieves copied her driver's license, which was later found in a stolen car. They also wrote bad checks in her name, including one for $13,743.80 at Big Lots. What the heck did they buy?

Keep it simple

Thieves still love to use old-school ways to steal your identity. Don't skip these offline tips:

• Out in public, keep your purse and wallet close. Only bring the cards you'll be using.
• Leave your Social Security card, birth certificate and passport at home unless you truly need them.
• Don't put outgoing checks, bill payments or financial information in your home mailbox. Use a postal mailbox or take them to the post office instead.
• Shred old bills and financial records before tossing them. I use this shredder.
• Review your credit report and bank statements regularly. Here’s how to get a free report.

📜 You’re not alone if this happens to you. Resist the urge to stay quiet.

Report fraud, scams and bad business practices to the FTC. If you gave out your Social Security number, contact the SSA immediately and let them know your number was compromised.

Such a sad story: Phil Paxson died after his Google Maps directions led him across a bridge that partially collapsed a decade ago. His family is suing Google for negligence, saying Paxson was new to the area, driving late at night and unfamiliar with the collapse (paywall link). The lawsuit alleges Google had been notified several times but never updated its driving instructions.

20 years later: Facebook is allowing multiple personal profiles under the same login. Short for “fake Instagrams,” “finstas” are profiles that use different names and pictures to keep separate parts of life digitally distanced. (Think a profile for family and one for friends.) This feature’s rolling out now, so give it time if you don’t see it yet.

Bargain shopper: A YouTuber hit up the Detroit Pallet Liquidation in Michigan and spent $675 on a pallet full of returns. The resale value of what he got? Over $4,000. Items included a child's car seat, lawn mower tires, an ax-throwing set and car coils retailing for $1,200.

📷 Calling all photogs: The latest version of AI image generator DALL-E is coming in October. Its creator, OpenAI (yes, they made ChatGPT, too), has a form where photographers can opt out of having their images used to train the system. Don't give away what you've created for free.

Flip it: Dollar General stores sometimes have so much inventory of an item, you can grab them for just a penny. TikTokkers are buying this stuff to flip on Amazon. Creamsicle-flavored Twinkies are going for $16.99 on Amazon. I'd say $16.98 is a pretty good profit.

No cap: A new Deloitte survey shows Gen Zers are three times as likely to get scammed online than boomers. Young’uns are twice as likely to have their social media accounts hacked, and 14% say their location information has been misused. That's more than any other generation.

FYI, free tests: If you need more COVID tests at home, don't pay for them. The government is giving out four per household starting Sept. 25.

📦 Love them: Susie and Paul Sensmeier, a retired couple from Virginia, have placed about 1,200 orders via Google’s Wing drone delivery service — an unofficial world record. They went to a Wing demo in 2019 and were invited to try it. Their orders include everyday items from Walgreens, like toothbrushes and toothpaste, as well as 93 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to give away.

I make the complex world of tech simple and approachable. From explaining the latest gadgets in plain English to offering easy-to-follow cybersecurity advice, I’ve got you covered.

👉 Tech understanding is just a click away!

Your router isn’t just a dumb box that connects you to the internet. It stores a lot more information than you realize.

Case in point: Researchers bought a bunch of used routers. Half contained confidential or sensitive intel from the businesses that sold them. Nobody wiped the routers. Rookie mistake, people.

Treasure trove of info

The data found identified not only the routers’ last owners and their network configurations, but also:

• Customer data
• Data that allowed third-party connections to the network
• Credentials for connecting to other networks as a trusted party
• Connection details for specific applications
• VPN credentials
• Admin credentials

Don’t chance it

You know to wipe your phone, tablet and computer before tossing, selling or giving them away. Even your printer and smart speaker should be reset to factory settings. The same applies to your router.

✅ The bottom line: Reset your router as you would with any device before letting it out into the world. Go to my site for step-by-step instructions.

Bad guys love to hide malicious code in apps you download without much research because you need them right now. No surprise, document scanners are a target. You can scan using the apps baked right into your smartphone.

Have an iPhone?

• Open Notes and tap the compose icon at the bottom right of the screen.
• Above the keyboard, tap the camera icon.
• Tap Choose Photo or Video and select a photo you’ve already taken. Or, take a new photo or scan your docs.

On an Android:

• Open the Google Drive app. Tap the plus button in the bottom right corner.
• Tap Scan and allow access to your camera if you have not already.
• Take a photo of the document you’d like to scan. Hit the X to try again or the checkmark to confirm.
• Add a file name and choose a folder to store to. Select Save again.

🌳 What do you get when you scan Elijah Wood? A Frodocopy.

Every week on my national radio show, I talk to interesting folks doing amazing things in tech, everyday people who could use a hand, and I share some of my best tips and tricks.

Missed it? All is not lost! Just tune in to my podcast, Kim Komando Today.

This week on the podcast, a cyberattack has impacted all MGM casinos and resorts nationwide — and it all started with a 10-minute phone call. Also, a boy gets hope from ChatGPT after years of chronic pain, Sony's giving its old robot dogs foster care and drugs are being sold on Facebook Marketplace.

There’s no reversing what happened; you’ve just gotta go forward.

The answer: Soon, in 2025. In the Ohio River Valley, where the Wright brothers once pioneered flight, Joby Aviation is investing $500 million to manufacture electric planes with vertical takeoff. The air taxis will have a 155-mile range on a single charge.

Thanks for reading and I’ll see you back in your inbox later today with my smart Tech Hacks newsletter, where you’ll learn how to find online reviews you can trust. Don’t worry, it’s not too late to sign up. — Kim