Hello, my friend, to a loaded Monday newsletter! It’s designed to keep you tech-ahead so you won’t be left tech-behind. Let’s see if you know which Big Tech company's unofficial motto, written into its code of conduct, used to be "Don't be evil." Was it … A.) Apple, B.) Microsoft, C.) Google or D.) Amazon? Make your best guess, and you’ll find the answer at the end.

💌 Reply to this email with a (^‿^). Oh, the good ol’ days of ASCII emojis. Today, that’s 😄! Replying to my newsletter tells Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, your ISP and other biased algorithms you want my emails, and it keeps them out of your “Junk” or “Promotions” folders. Let's outsmart Big Tech together! — Kim

You’re feeling sick, so you go to the doctor. Bad news: You need surgery. Worse news: Your insurance won’t cover it. They say you’ve already had two surgeries this year.

The catch? You haven’t. This is the nasty reality of medical fraud.

I’ve been beating this drum a lot lately and for good reason. This year’s ransomware attack on Change Healthcare put 50% of all U.S. medical claims at risk. Think about that — you’re in a room with 20 people and 10 will likely get hit by medical ID theft.

Here’s what could happen if you’re one of the Americans whose medical data was exposed.

Just how bad can things get?

One woman realized something was wrong after she got a text from the hospital. It said her ER wait time was extended, except … she wasn’t in the ER. She ignored the text, probably thinking it was just a wrong number.

The next day, she got a call to discuss her test results. That’s when she hit the panic button. It was too late — even though she reported the incident as fraudulent, she still got slapped with a $3,600 bill. She had to escalate things to the hospital’s privacy officer to get everything corrected.

It’s not just individuals using your medical ID; scammy organizations can steal your medical info for phantom billing schemes, too. They’ll submit false claims for medical services you never requested and leave you with the bill.

Signs and symptoms

• You notice the medical info in your patient record is wrong, like your blood type or a recent diagnosis.
• You receive a bill or an Explanation of Benefits statement for health care services you didn’t get.
• You start receiving calls from debt collectors about medical bills you don’t owe.
• Your health insurance company claims you’ve hit your benefit limits when you know that’s not true.

Build up your immunity

• Use this searchable database to see if your health care info has been compromised.
• Store hard copies of medical records in a safe or lockbox.
• Remove prescription labels from empty bottles before you toss them. These labels have information thieves can use.
• Monitor your credit. You can get three free credit reports a year at AnnualCreditReport.com.
• Report phony medical bills. If you get bills for medical services you didn’t receive, contact your insurance provider ASAP. After, report your billing errors to the credit bureaus at IdentityTheft.gov.

❗ This one’s big: When hospital networks get hacked, it can keep you from getting lifesaving care. It happened already this year. Store digital copies of your medical records on your phone in case their systems go down. Here’s how.

Kids and older folks are prime targets for this stuff. Criminals bank on you not realizing there’s a problem until they’ve stolen your health care benefits. Pass this on to people you care about using the share icons below.

Actually, most of these deals are under $10!

1. When there aren’t enough outlets, get more with this terrific extender. Just plug it in and you’ve got five outlets, three USB outlets and one USB‑C outlet, plus a surge protector and a nightlight. It’s on sale for $12.98.
2. Calling all athletes! Have a bunch of awards collecting dust in your office? The solution: A medal hanger. This one’s on sale for $4.68.
3. It’s hot. This $7.99 fan is perfect for on the go or on your desk.
4. Make more shower shelf space with this set of five organizers for $9.98.
5. Need to label the kids’ clothes but don’t want to write on the tags? Check out these no-ironing-required labels for $7.52.

🛡️ A win against deepfakes: The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the first bill to crack down on AI porn. The bill will let victims sue anyone who creates or distributes explicit content depicting the victims without their consent, with a 10-year statute of limitations. You know more regulations are coming.

Is your car bricked? Since AT&T killed off 3G over two years ago, owners of 2014 to 2019 Volkswagens with VW Car‑Net services have been in analog, so to speak. Without wireless connectivity, they no longer have features like remote start, emergency assistance or antitheft alerts. Volkswagen still doesn’t have a fix, and some 3G-reliant Hyundai and Nissan models are screwed, too. Cars with 4G should have until at least 2035. PSA: Check the connectivity specs before you buy, folks.

The latest must-have for the elite? High-worth individuals are less cyber-protected than organizations, making them bigger targets. Case in point: Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Bill Gates have all had their phones or X accounts hacked. Now folks are paying experts big bucks to protect them from cyber threats, because, well, big money is on the line.

Move over, TikTok: Talkie is now the fifth-most-downloaded app, and its parent company, MiniMax, has ties to Communist China. Talkie lets you chat with AI versions of celebs (paywall link) like Taylor Swift or a customized romantic partner. Yup, the app gets copies of everything on your phone.

King Henry had two axe wives: Art historian Adam Busiakiewicz spotted a missing portrait of King Henry VIII while scrolling on X. The painting was in the background of a photo at Warwick’s Shire Hall in central England. I’m sure it will end up at the British Museum, along with everything else stolen in the world.

🔒 Over 200 PC models are at risk: This affects millions of PCs. Secure Boot keeps your PC from booting on sketchy software but is now completely useless. Why? An employee posted the platform’s four-digit password online. Acer, Dell, Gigabyte, Intel and Supermicro PCs are all vulnerable. If you’re downloading software, use a sandbox. I’ll let you know when there’s a patch.

🏅 Putting the “pics” in Olympics: Olympians are turning to OnlyFans to make money while in Paris. Briton Jack Laugher says he only makes $36,000 a year as one of the top three divers in the world. Now, he charges $10 a month for fans to chat with him, ask questions and, of course, see some very spicy Speedo pics.

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.

Remove Kaspersky ASAP: I recommended you delete it because it’s now banned in the U.S. over its ties to Russia. I’ve been getting a slew of people asking how to remove it, so here’s some help. Need a replacement? My antivirus pick is TotalAV, and it’s just $19 for a year of protection on up to five devices.

Upgrade for the aux: Tired of cables? This adapter lets you go wireless with CarPlay so you don’t have to clutter your console with a three-foot USB cord. Love that.

Hide your Instagram Stories: If family members or coworkers follow you on IG, you might not want them to see those party vacation pics. In the app, tap your profile picture in the bottom right, then tap the three lines to the top right > Settings > Privacy > Story > Hide Story From, and select anyone you want to hide your story from. They’ll still be able to see your profile and posts!

Update Google Chrome: Crooks can easily package malicious software in password-protected zip files. Now, when you’re using Chrome’s Safe Browsing feature in Enhanced Mode, Google will ask you to share the password to scan files before you download them. Here’s how to enable it.

💻 Should you splurge on an AI PC? You might want to pump the brakes. Here’s why.

$400K MIA: A woman nearly lost her down payment to this real estate scam. It’s one of the sneakiest I’ve seen.

Spray-on shoes: They’ll debut in this year’s Olympic marathon. The video is a must‑watch.

The answer: C.) Google. The phrase was even the Wi‑Fi password for the shuttle that took folks to Google’s campus. When Alphabet became Google’s parent company in 2015, they adopted an adjusted version: “Do the right thing.” In 2018, “Don’t be evil” disappeared from their website altogether.

Speaking of … A woman and a man are in a two-car accident. Both cars are demolished but neither person is hurt. After they crawl out of their cars, the woman says, "This must be a sign from God that we should meet and live for the rest of our days!” Flattered, the man replies, “Oh, yes, I agree with you completely!” The woman continues, “And look! Another miracle — this bottle of wine didn't break. Surely God wants us to drink and celebrate our good fortune.” The man nods in agreement, opens the bottle and drinks half. He then asks, “Aren't you having any?” The woman answers, “No, I’ll just wait for the police." (I heard you laugh!)

Have a great day, and I’ll be back in your inbox tomorrow with the best tech newsletter in the USA! — Kim