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1 click cost a father $4 million in bitcoin to vishing scammers

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1 click cost a father  million in bitcoin to vishing scammers

Many of us have families to look after. We save money not only for our own future but also – perhaps even more so – for our kids and grandkids. We want to secure a good education, help them buy a home or simply set aside something for when they need it. 

So did Tony. He’d saved a substantial amount for his sons’ future, more than $4 million in bitcoin. And with just one click, he lost it all to vishing, a type of scam that uses phone calls to trick people into giving up sensitive information. 

Scammers posed as Google Support agents and, after an elaborate scheme, first caught his attention, then gained his trust and ultimately left him with nothing. 

“Please, man. Is there anything you can do to give me something back?” was Tony’s final, desperate plea to the scammers, hoping to appeal to their humanity.

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A man typing on his computer keyboard (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

What is vishing?

Vishing, short for “voice phishing,” is a type of cybercrime that uses phone calls to deceive individuals into revealing personal or financial information. Unlike traditional phishing, which relies on emails or text messages, vishing leverages the power of human voice and social engineering to manipulate victims. Scammers often impersonate legitimate organizations, such as banks, tech companies, or government agencies, to gain trust and create a sense of urgency. They may ask for passwords, credit card numbers, or other sensitive details, which they then use for fraudulent purposes.

Because vishing relies heavily on social engineering tactics, it can be difficult to detect, making it a particularly dangerous form of cybercrime.

Illustration of a hacker at work (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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The scam is a well-orchestrated play

Let’s break down these vishing schemes to understand why they are so effective. Once you see them as a staged play consisting of different acts, it becomes easier to recognize the individual tactics.

Act 1: The setup and targeting

Scammers start by identifying potential victims through social media, public transaction records, leaked databases, and more. Once they select a target, they gather personal details (email, phone number, financial holdings) to build credibility. And you could easily be a target. That’s because data brokers – companies that buy and sell your personal information – are goldmines for scammers. Your entire profile is likely out there, containing everything they need to run a successful scam: your name, address, contact details, family members, owned properties and more.

How to protect yourself at this stage:

  • Limit what you share online, especially financial details
  • Sign up for data removal services that erase your personal information from company databases

Act 2: The first contact

Scammers always initiate contact first. Let’s walk through a vishing scam using a Google account as an example.

  • Triggering a real security alert: Scammers may attempt to recover your Google Account to prompt real security alerts, like verification codes sent to your phone. Their goal isn’t to reset your password but to make you believe there’s a real security issue.

Google verification code text (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Sending a fake security message: They create a fake Google Form using your email address, designed to mimic an official security alert. The message often claims there’s been a security breach and that a named support agent will contact you soon.

Fake Google form (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

  • Placing a call: Shortly after you receive the email, scammers call using a spoofed Google number, guiding you through fake security steps.

How to protect yourself at this stage:

  • Pause and verify – Real companies don’t call or email you for sensitive security actions
  • Contact the company directly – Use official contact details (don’t trust the caller’s number or email)
  • Be skeptical of urgent security warnings – Scammers create fake emergencies to make you act without thinking

HOW TO REMOVE YOUR PRIVATE DATA FROM THE INTERNET 

Act 3: Building trust

Scammers no longer ask for passwords outright. That trick doesn’t work anymore. Here’s what they do instead.

  • Introducing themselves as support agents: They remain calm and friendly, claiming they’re here to help investigate the issue. They reference details from the fake Google Form to seem legitimate.
  • Walking through a real password recovery process: While on the phone, scammers instruct you to change your password as a security measure. They don’t send any suspicious links but instead guide you through the real recovery process. At this point, they still don’t have access to your account. But that’s about to change.

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

Illustration of username and password credential page (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

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Act 4: The scam

After you successfully reset your password, scammers ask for one final step: log in. This is where the real scam happens.

  • Sending a phishing link: Now that you trust them, they send a message using a spoofed Google number with a link to log in. However, the link leads to a phishing site designed to look like Google’s login page.
  • Logging into the real site: As soon as you enter your credentials into the fake page, scammers input them into the real Google site. Seconds later, you receive a genuine Google security prompt asking, “Is this you?”
  • Clicking “Yes, it’s me” completes the scam: While you were on their fake platform, they were simultaneously logging into your real account using your credentials. The Google security prompt? It wasn’t for your device. It was for theirs. As a result, you’ve just given scammers access to your account.

How to protect yourself at this stage:

  • Never log in to your accounts using links that were sent to you
  • Always check the URL before entering credentials and look for “https://” and correct spellings
  • Use a password manager that autofills only on legitimate sites. A high-quality password manager ensures security with zero-knowledge encryption, military-grade protection and support for multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS and major browsers. Look for features like unlimited password storage, secure sharing, password health reports, data breach monitoring, autofill and emergency access. Check out my expert-reviewed best password managers of 2025 here

THE HIDDEN COSTS OF FREE APPS: YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION 

Act 5: The heist

At this stage, the scammers end the call, leaving you feeling at ease. You won’t realize what happened until it’s too late. And it’s not just Google accounts at risk. The same method can be used to access Apple accounts, banking services and cryptocurrency wallets. For some, losing access to Google alone is devastating; after all, Google Drive, Google Photos and other cloud services store vast amounts of personal and financial data. But by the time you realize what’s happened, it’s already too late.

How to protect yourself at this stage:

  • Secure your accounts immediately – Reset your passwords, enable two-factor authentication with an authenticator app and log out of all active sessions to remove unauthorized access.
  • Report and monitor for fraud – Alert your bank, credit card provider or crypto exchange to freeze transactions if needed. Report the scam to the FTC (reportfraud.ftc.gov), IC3 (ic3.gov) and the affected platform. Monitor your accounts for suspicious activity and consider a credit freeze to prevent identity theft.

While securing your accounts and reporting fraud are crucial after a scam has already occurred, the best defense is preventing these attacks in the first place. Taking these steps can help ensure you don’t fall victim to a vishing scam in the first place.

How to protect yourself from vishing scams

1. Invest in personal data removal services: These scams all have one thing in common: they need some of your personal info to work. Without your name, phone number or email, these scams can’t happen. Scammers might even try to gain your trust by sharing more of your personal info, like your Social Security number, to seem more believable. I strongly suggest you remove your personal info from people search sites online. If you give someone your email or phone number, they might be able to find your home address through a reverse search. While no service promises to remove all your data from the internet, having a removal service is great if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of removing your information from hundreds of sites continuously over a longer period of time. Check out my top picks for data removal services here.

2. Set up recovery contacts: Establish backup contacts for your accounts (Google, Apple and bank) to ensure you have a way to regain access if locked out.

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3. Monitor financial accounts: Regularly check your financial accounts for any suspicious activity or unauthorized transactions.

4. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA): Enable 2FA on all accounts, especially Google, Apple and financial services. This adds an extra layer of security, making it harder for scammers to access your accounts even if they obtain your login credentials.

5. Secure devices: Ensure your devices are secured with screen locks or biometric authentication and keep software up to date to prevent malware attacks.

6. Report scams promptly: If you’ve been scammed, report the fraud immediately to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and notify the affected platforms.

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7. Use strong antivirus software: Install and regularly update strong antivirus software to protect your devices from malware, viruses and other cyber threats. Antivirus software provides real-time protection, scans for malicious files and helps prevent infections by blocking access to harmful websites and downloads. The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe. Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.

Kurt’s key takeaways

Tony’s story is a chilling reminder that even the most diligent savers can fall victim to sophisticated scams. These vishing schemes, carefully orchestrated like a theatrical play, exploit our trust and leverage real security alerts to gain access to our accounts. Protecting ourselves requires constant awareness, skepticism towards unsolicited communications, and proactive measures to safeguard our personal information. While the tactics may evolve, the underlying principle remains the same: scammers rely on deception to exploit our vulnerabilities. By understanding their methods and taking preventative steps, we can make it harder for them to succeed.

What more do you think companies and the government should do to combat this growing threat? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.

For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.

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Honda’s hybrid future starts with new Accord and RDX prototypes

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Honda’s hybrid future starts with new Accord and RDX prototypes

Honda revealed prototypes of two new hybrid models, an Accord sedan and the Acura RDX SUV, during its annual business briefing this week, built on a platform that it says will begin launching next year. The RDX was announced earlier this year as Honda’s first SUV to feature the next-gen version of its two-motor hybrid system.

In March, Honda announced it would take a writedown of up to 2.5 trillion yen ($15.7 billion) on its EV investments. Now Honda says its EV-related losses will be “resolved” by 2029, and that it will reevaluate its EV plans in 2030.

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New cancer tech sends chemo straight to tumors

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New cancer tech sends chemo straight to tumors

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Chemotherapy can save lives, but anyone who has watched a loved one go through it knows how hard it can be. The nausea. The exhaustion. The infections. The days when even getting off the couch feels like too much.

That happens because standard chemotherapy travels through the bloodstream. It attacks cancer cells but can also harm healthy cells along the way. For some pancreatic cancer patients, that approach may be changing.

A targeted drug-delivery system from RenovoRx is designed to send chemotherapy directly near the tumor instead of through the entire body. The system, called Trans-Arterial Micro-Perfusion, or TAMP, is being studied in a Phase III clinical trial for locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

For 83-year-old Hernando Salcedo, who had been left weak, nauseous and overwhelmed by standard chemotherapy, the trial offered something he desperately needed: a reason to hope. He enrolled at Miami Cancer Institute and soon began to feel the shift in his own body. His appetite started coming back. His energy improved. He felt more like himself. “The difference was tremendous,” Hernando said. “I completed eight sessions, one every 15 days, and I felt dramatically better than I did with the original chemotherapy.”

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HIDDEN FACTOR IN CANCER TREATMENT TIMING MAY AFFECT SURVIVAL, RESEARCHERS SAY

Cancer patient Hernando Salcedo attended a family wedding after RenovoRx’s Trans-Arterial Micro-Perfusion system delivered chemotherapy directly near his tumor, helping him feel stronger during treatment. (Hernando Salcedo)

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How the RenovoRx drug-delivery device works

RenovoRx’s platform uses the FDA-cleared RenovoCath device to deliver chemotherapy through a catheter placed in an artery near the tumor. A physician guides the catheter into position using X-ray imaging.

Shaun Bagai, CEO of RenovoRx, said the platform is designed to localize chemotherapy delivery near the tumor instead of relying on the drug to travel through the whole body.

“Once in position, two small balloons on the catheter are inflated, and the system is adjusted to isolate a targeted segment of artery adjacent to a tumor,” Bagai said. “The chemotherapy drug is then infused between the balloons, creating pressure to push the drug across the vessel wall and near the tumor, directly bathing the target tumor.”

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That setup allows doctors to focus treatment in a specific area rather than exposing more of the body to chemotherapy. “The procedure itself is minimally invasive and is typically performed in an outpatient setting without the need for patients to be put under general anesthesia,” Bagai said.

For patients already dealing with pain, fatigue and fear, that outpatient approach may feel less overwhelming than a major hospital procedure.

 

How targeted chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer works

To understand why this approach matters, it helps to start with the problem doctors are trying to solve. Dr. Ripal Gandhi, a vascular interventional radiologist and interventional oncologist at Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute and Miami Cancer Institute, explained why standard chemotherapy can be so hard on the body.

“With IV chemotherapy, the drug travels through the bloodstream, affecting both cancerous and healthy cells, which can lead to side effects,” Dr. Gandhi said. TAMP takes a more targeted route. A doctor places a catheter in an artery near the tumor, then delivers chemotherapy into that area instead of relying on the drug to circulate throughout the body.

Dr. Gandhi compared it to “a drip irrigation system for individual plants instead of watering an entire lawn.” For patients, that means doctors are trying to focus more of the treatment near the cancer while reducing how much chemotherapy reaches the rest of the body.

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Why pancreatic cancer is so difficult to treat

Pancreatic cancer has a reputation for being one of the hardest cancers to fight, partly because the tumor itself can block treatment from working the way doctors want it to.

Dr. Gandhi said that creates a major challenge for standard IV chemotherapy. “Studies have shown that less than 10% of chemotherapy administered intravenously actually reaches tumor cells due to the few blood vessels in the tumor as well as dense fibrous stroma, which serves as a physical barrier in the tumor microenvironment,” Dr. Gandhi said.

That helps explain why targeted delivery could play an important role. TAMP sends the drug closer to the tumor rather than depending on the bloodstream to do all the work.

“This targeted approach via TAMP does not rely on chemotherapy circulating through the body to carry the drug to the tumor via tumor feeder vessels,” Dr. Gandhi said. “Trans-arterial micro-perfusion is a drug-delivery platform that delivers chemotherapy directly near the target tumor where it is needed most.”

NEW CANCER THERAPY HUNTS AND DESTROYS DEADLY TUMORS IN MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH STUDY 

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Chase McCann, associate director of the cell therapy lab core, demonstrates how cancerous T-cells from a child are used to develop an autoimmune treatment to fight cancer at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 26, 2025. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post/Getty Images)

 

Patient says targeted chemotherapy gave him hope

Hernando’s cancer journey began after he went to the doctor with a swollen stomach and hip pain. Doctors diagnosed him with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. When he started standard chemotherapy in August 2025, the side effects hit hard. “My body was going through an incredible amount of stress,” Hernando said. “My stomach was inflamed, I had persistent pain in my head, and I had almost no energy.”

He was also receiving chemotherapy and radiation at the same time. “It was a very difficult period, both physically and emotionally,” he said. “I remember feeling exhausted, overwhelmed and unsure of what the future would look like.”

When doctors presented the targeted treatment option, Hernando saw it as more than another medical procedure. “To me, it felt like a new opportunity to live,” he said. “It gave me hope at a time when my family and I really needed it.”

He credits Dr. Gandhi and the team at Miami Cancer Institute with helping him through it all. “From the beginning, he was honest, supportive and clear with my wife, my family and me,” Hernando said. “That meant everything.” 

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Fewer chemotherapy side effects changed daily life

“Before, I was losing weight, had no appetite and felt drained,” Hernando said. “After switching treatments, things began to change. I stopped losing weight, my appetite came back, my color improved and I had more energy.”

Cancer treatment can sometimes take over everyday life. When side effects ease, patients can get pieces of their normal life back. “After about eight weeks, we could see real progress,” Hernando said. “I was eating more, moving more and feeling excited about life again.”

One moment still stands out. Hernando was able to attend a family wedding and dance the entire night. “That moment meant everything to me,” he said. “After everything I had been through, being able to celebrate with my family in that way felt like a gift.” For Hernando, it was a chance to feel like himself again. “That night at the wedding, I was not thinking only about cancer or treatment,” Hernando said. “I was living.”

 

Early trial results show survival and quality-of-life signals

The early data from RenovoRx’s Phase III TIGeR-PaC trial suggest the targeted approach may offer both survival and tolerability benefits for some patients.

Dr. Gandhi said completed clinical studies with TAMP in pancreatic cancer showed “a potential for better outcomes and less side effects for patients.”

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“In the initial interim analysis of the TIGeR-PaC clinical trial, there was a trend towards improved overall survival by 6 months and improvement in the progression free survival by 8.1 months with 65% fewer adverse events in the TAMP arm of the study,” Dr. Gandhi said.

 

Who may benefit from targeted chemotherapy delivery?

This approach isn’t for every pancreatic cancer patient. Doctors still need to look at the cancer stage, tumor location, treatment history and whether the cancer has spread.

Dr. Gandhi said Hernando was the kind of patient who could be a strong fit. “He is precisely the type of patient who would benefit best from this approach because he has a tumor which is too far advanced to be treated surgically, but it has not spread to other organs,” Dr. Gandhi said.

He also pointed to clinical trials as an important option for pancreatic cancer patients.”I discussed with him that the recommendation of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network is that the best management for pancreatic cancer patients is participation in a clinical trial whenever possible and he was an ideal candidate,” Dr. Gandhi said.

He went on to say that TAMP may be an option for patients who are not candidates for surgery, patients who have failed chemotherapy or patients who no longer want to continue IV chemotherapy because of side effects.

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“TAMP can be used at any point within the treatment landscape, before, during or after other treatment modalities such as IV chemotherapy or radiation,” he said.

PANCREATIC CANCER PATIENT SURVIVAL DOUBLED WITH HIGH DOSE OF COMMON VITAMIN, STUDY FINDS

The RenovoCath device uses a catheter-based system to deliver chemotherapy near the tumor instead of through the whole body. (RenovoRx)

 

What comes next for RenovoRx’s cancer treatment platform

RenovoRx says the RenovoCath catheter is already FDA-cleared for general therapy and chemotherapy delivery. The company is also nearing the end of enrollment in its Phase III TIGeR-PaC trial.

That trial is evaluating intra-arterial gemcitabine (IAG) delivered through RenovoCath for locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Bagai said enrollment is expected to be completed in mid-2026, with final results expected in 2027.

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“If positive, data generated from this trial could potentially support a new drug application for this combination product to the FDA for IAG,” Bagai said. RenovoRx also sees potential beyond pancreatic cancer. “The challenge we are addressing is not unique to pancreatic cancer,” Bagai said.

He said the platform could apply to other solid tumors with limited blood supply, including bile duct cancer, certain lung cancers and sarcomas. “The platform is designed to work with different types of therapies, not just one drug,” Bagai said. “That opens the door to future combinations and potential partnerships, with the goal of expanding options for patients who have limited treatment choices.” 

 

What this means to you

If you or someone you love has pancreatic cancer, this story is worth paying attention to. Clinical trials can open up options when standard treatment feels too hard to tolerate or stops working.

Drug delivery matters, too. The medicine itself is only part of the story. Where it goes inside the body can affect side effects, energy levels and quality of life. Targeted chemotherapy delivery remains a specialized treatment approach. Some cancer centers may not offer it, and every diagnosis will not be a fit. Your care team can review imaging, staging, prior treatments and overall health to see whether it makes sense.

Start with direct questions. Ask whether a clinical trial makes sense. You can also ask about targeted delivery options or a second opinion from a pancreatic cancer specialist. Hernando’s advice to other patients is simple. “I would tell them not to lose hope and not to wait to ask questions,” he said. 

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Kurt’s key takeaways

Pancreatic cancer has a way of turning normal life upside down fast. One day, a family is making plans. The next, they are trying to understand scans, treatment choices and side effects that no one feels ready for. That is what makes Hernando’s story so powerful. The part that stays with you isn’t only the technology. It is the fact that he started eating again. He had more energy. He felt more like himself. And he got to dance at a wedding after wondering what the future would look like. The final Phase III trial results will be important. Doctors still need to see how widely this approach could help patients. But the promise is easy to understand. If chemotherapy can get closer to the tumor while taking less of a toll on the rest of the body, patients may get something that matters just as much as treatment itself: more good days.

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Use this map to find the data centers in your backyard

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Use this map to find the data centers in your backyard

When Oregon resident Isabelle Reksopuro heard Google was gobbling up public land to fuel its data centers in her home state, she didn’t initially know what to believe. “There’s a lot of misinformation about data centers,” she said. “Google has denied taking that land.”

Technically, she explains, The Dalles, a city near the Washington state border, sought to reclaim that land, “and Google is just a big, unnamed power user.” The city had in fact asked for ownership of a 150-acre portion of Mount Hood National Forest, claiming it needs access to Mount Hood’s watershed to meet municipal needs as its population — 16,010 as of the 2020 census — grows. But critics, including environmentalists, say the city is trying to secure more water for Google, which has a sprawling data center campus in The Dalles that already consumes about one-third of the city’s water supply.

This controversy made Reksopuro curious about the backlash to data centers being built in other communities. So Reksopuro, a student at the University of Washington who studies the connections between tech and public policy, decided to map it out. Using information collected by Epoch AI and data scraped from legislation on data centers, she built an interactive map tracking AI policy around the world. She designed it to be simple enough for anyone to use. “I wanted it to be something that my younger sisters could play through and explore to understand what are the data centers in the area and what’s actually being done about it,” Reksopuro said. She hoped to shift their opinions that way, “instead of like, through TikTok.”

Four times a day, the map searches for new sources and checks them against the existing database Reksopuro built out. “Once it does that, it will write a new summary, add it to the news feed, and populate it on the sidebar,” she said. “I wanted it to be self-updating, since I’m also a student.”

Reksopuro isn’t against data centers, but she thinks tech giants benefit from a lack of transparency around data center policies. “Right now, it’s this really opaque thing — and all of a sudden, there’s a facility,” she said. “I think that if people knew about data centers beforehand, it would give them leverage. They would be able to negotiate: ask for job training programs, tax revenue, environmental monitoring, things to improve their community.”

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