Hey there, it’s Wednesday! And it’s National Cheeseburger Day. 🍔 I went digging for freebies. Through the McDonald’s app, you can score double cheeseburgers for 50 cents. At Burger King, sign up for a Royal Perks account and you’ll get a free cheeseburger if you spend a buck. Wendy’s is selling a 1-cent Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger with any purchase. Other places have deals, too. Just ask! 🍔

😳 Your personal info is all over the internet. Scammers use it to con you and stalkers use it to get you — but they’re not the only shady ones. Data brokers sell everything from your address to your Social Security number to anyone willing to pay. Enter Incogni. They scrub your personal info from the web for you. More on that below! — Kim

Eight billion. That’s how many spam emails go out in the U.S. every single day. Komando staff (me included!) have received some real winners recently. Here’s a look at actual spam emails circulating right now. I want to keep you safe from junk like this, so read carefully!

Geeking out

Did someone call the Geek Squad? Content Queen Allie didn't, but she keeps getting email receipts for subscriptions she never signed up for.

🚩 Why? They want your money, honey.

By sending a real-looking (but bogus) invoice, they want you to think you forgot to pay for something. Emails like this usually include a request for your credit card or bank information.

If you don't fall for that trick, they often include a phone number for you to call to inquire about the invoice. When you call, crooks play customer service, try to make you pay over the phone or scam you some other way.

Dirty money

Remember how I told you sextortion scams are getting kicked up a notch? Well, our IT genius, John, is the latest target. John received a shady email with a PDF attached. It included his full name, work address, phone number and the signature "I ain't playing games" threat.

The sender claims to have footage of John doing "embarrassing things" (aka surfing porn websites). They say in just a few clicks, they could send the footage to every one of John's contacts.

And, just like we've reported, the scammer wrapped up things with a picture of John's location (one of the entrances to our broadcast headquarters).

🚩 What’s the deal? These creeps want money, too — in this case, a $1,950 bitcoin deposit sent to an address they included.

Their goal is to get you worked up and scared enough to pay. After all, who would want their grandma to see them doing something naughty?

Of course, they don't really have footage of you, and many other victims have reported getting this very same message. Don't take the bait.

Direct your attention

I’ve gotten a few of these emails from Allie asking to switch her direct deposit information … except it wasn't really Allie.

🚩 Double dipping: This crook wants money and business information. If I had fallen for this one, I might’ve handed a hacker company bank account numbers or other protected info.

The tipoff? Allie would absolutely go to the accounting team with a question like this, not me. And if I click where her name is listed as the sender, it reveals an email address that’s definitely not hers.

🛟 We almost got taken by a $40,000 fake invoice scam. Here are the details. Folks, this crap gets through no matter how strict your email filters are. Your best filter is that noggin! Be smart, read thoroughly and stay vigilant.

I’m always telling you how much I love Incogni. They find your personal info online and remove it for you. A reader named Michael wrote in to tell me about his experience so far:

"I just wanted to thank you for recommending Incogni and for the discount coupon. They sure do a great job of getting rid of data on 'regular' data-broker lists, and that is so worth it. You were instrumental in my choice of data-removal companies (picked Incogni) because I trust you!"

Michael, you’re a smart guy. It's such a pain to find your data across hundreds of sites online and remove it yourself. I tried, wasted weeks and gave up. That’s when I found Incogni. Set up an account, add a few details, and they get to work removing your info from data-broker sites and people-search databases automatically. They follow up and make sure you stay private. Love that.

⏰ The clock is TikTok-ing: A three-judge panel just heard TikTok’s argument against splitting from ByteDance, a company with direct ties to Communist China. They say 170 million Americans use TikTok (think of that loss of productivity!) and questioned why other Chinese-owned apps like Temu and Shein aren’t being targeted the same way. I hope Mr. Wonderful’s idea of letting everyday Americans buy TikTok comes to fruition.

Speaking of Temu and Shein: Their cheap wares are for sale on Etsy, a site meant for vintage and handmade goods. Sellers are breaking the rules by listing mass-produced items, sometimes at 10 times the original price. Don’t get duped: Do a reverse image search to see if the same product pops up elsewhere.

✅ Instagram for teens: Congress is laying on the pressure and Meta is finally making changes. “Teen accounts” for anyone under 18 will block non-friends from viewing their content or messaging them. Parents can also see who their kids have recently messaged, set daily time limits and block app usage during certain hours. Full list of changes here. Share this one with anyone with a teen.

EVs are cheap right now: You can score the Hyundai Ioniq 5 for $259 a month or lease a Nissan Leaf for just $20 a month (paywall link). How the heck? Dealer incentives. Leased EVs are classified as "commercial vehicles," qualifying them for a full $7,500 tax credit, which gets passed on to you.

This is the same generation that ate Tide Pods: Gen Z's latest social media trend is snapping photos of their TSA security trays while we all wait in line behind them. They neatly arrange their sunglasses, jewelry, bags and shoes before sending them through the X‑ray, captioning it with gems like, “Am I overpacking for the one-day late-summer getaway?” Oof.

🦅 The secret life of birds: The Motus Wildlife Tracking system has tagged nearly 50,000 birds, insects and bats with mini trackers to reveal their flight patterns. When an animal flies by one of 2,000 stations, its location is logged. A surprising and sad find? Only 40% of fledgling barn swallows in southern Ontario survive to migrate. ”Peep” at the data yourself.

Keep AM radio in cars: The House Energy and Commerce Committee is voting today on the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act. Millions of folks use AM radio for news, sports, weather, traffic and music. During emergencies, local AM stations offer a lifeline to keep us safe, informed and connected. Use this form to tell your legislators why AM radio is so important.

I bet you or someone you know has a scary travel story. These gadgets are no-brainers to bring on your next trip to protect yourself and your stuff.

• Major security flaws have compromised a huge portion of keycard hotel locks. Easy fix: This doorstop with a built-in alarm (17% off).
• Traveling with valuables? Bring your own safe. Hotel rooms don’t always have one. This little portable option is under $24.
• Whether you're traveling abroad or just going out at night, take a personal alarm. This sleek option is 20% off and goes right on your keychain.
• Only one in four U.S. homes has a carbon monoxide detector. Bet your Airbnb doesn’t. This one’s 33% off!
• Two words: Fanny pack. Wear it across your chest for extra street cred (I do!). This one’s inexpensive and looks great.

Rich Communication Services: RCS is the new texting standard replacing plain ol’ SMS. It’s built into Apple’s iOS 18 and makes texting your Android pals a lot better. Go to Settings > Apps > Messages. Scroll down, and if you don’t see the RCS option, it means your carrier likely isn’t supporting it yet.

Free SMB AI guide: If you’re using QuickBooks, you need to check out NetSuite.* They’re giving away a free guide to AI and machine learning right now. Grab it before it’s too late!

💊 Who’s in your doc’s pocket? Worried your doctor might not be giving you impartial advice because they’re getting paid by Big Pharma? Look ‘em up in this government database (U.S. only) and see which companies are giving them money. That includes celebrity doctors, too, if you’re feeling nosy!

Use AI to prep for interviews: Open your favorite AI chatbot, then copy and paste the job description. Ask it to break down the key details and responsibilities. Next, have the chatbot act as your interviewer.

Read to me: Robert from Mooresville, North Carolina, called my show to ask how to make his time in the car more productive by listening to documents he’d otherwise need to read during his drive. Easy-peasy — your phone can read a PDF aloud if you set up text‑to‑speech.

• On an iPhone: Head to Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content. Turn on Speak Screen and Speak Selection. Now open the doc you want to listen to, and swipe down with two fingers from the top of the screen to activate Speak Screen.
• On an Android phone: Go to Settings > Accessibility > Select to Speak. Turn it on. To use it, tap the Accessibility icon, then select the text you want to hear.

No need to buy a thing. Seriously, where else can you get this great intel?

Helmet from the 1960s with a built-in communication device so the riders can talk to each other. Definitely “a head” of the game!

Let’s close things out with a bonus tech tip. Highlight some text, hold down Ctrl in Windows (Cmd on Mac), click your left or primary mouse button, and drag the text elsewhere. When you let go of your mouse button, your text will be pasted there. Love that.

🖱️ I was having trouble understanding the importance of the computer mouse years ago … Then, it clicked.

I’m so glad I use Incogni. It's the reason I have zero spam calls and texts on my phone. They’ve sent 380 requests on my behalf to people-search and data-broker sites. Sweet. Try it yourself for 60% off right now.

👋 Be sure to follow me and say hello on Instagram, X, YouTube and Facebook. See you here tomorrow, friend, with advice for all the folks who have asked me if they should buy the new iPhone 16 or the latest fancy-pants Samsung. I want you to always be in the know with tech, not in the dark! — Kim