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Connecticut man loses life savings in crypto scam

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Connecticut man loses life savings in crypto scam

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When Joe A. from Shelton, Conn., received a text about a crypto investment opportunity, he thought it was his chance to rebuild after a divorce. Instead, he lost every dollar he had. Joe’s story is a heartbreaking reminder of how easy it is to fall for an online investment scam that promises quick success and easy money.

Joe has allowed Cyberguy to tell his powerful story so that others can learn from his experience and protect themselves from similar scams. Here is how it all went down and how you can protect yourself from falling into the same trap.

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After his account access vanished, scammers allegedly demanded more cash to “reactivate” it. By then, Joe’s retirement savings were wiped out. (Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

How the online investment scam began

In August, Joe got a message from a company calling itself “ZAP Solutions.” They promised that if he invested $30,000, he’d soon have $368,000 in returns. It sounded like a smart move. Like many victims, Joe believed the pitch because it seemed professional and legitimate.

But soon, he was led deeper into a trap. Each “short-term investment” required another wire transfer. Before he knew it, Joe had sent every penny, his 401K, IRA, and other investments.

When the investment scam fell apart 

The moment Joe was locked out of his account, panic set in. The scammers demanded more money to “reactivate” it. By the end, Joe had lost $228,000.

His mother, Carol, was devastated when she found out. 

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“I was shocked,” she said. “He showed us the screenshots, the messages, he emptied everything.”

Joe and his family filed a police report with local authorities and contacted the FBI. But according to officers, recovery is unlikely. 

“They told us there’s no way to get it back,” Carol said. “These cyber stalkers move the money too fast.”

The bigger picture: Online investment scams are rising 

Joe’s story isn’t unique. The FBI reports that cyber criminals have stolen more than $50 billion from Americans in just five years. Scammers prey on emotion, targeting people who are hopeful, lonely, or in transition.

“If it seems too good to be true, it probably is,” Joe said, stating a phrase we all should remember.

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How to protect yourself from online investment scams

Staying safe starts with awareness and consistent action. Cybercriminals are getting more creative, so protecting your finances means staying alert every step of the way. Follow these proven steps to safeguard your accounts and identity.

1) Research before you invest

Always verify any investment opportunity before sending money. Look up the company through official government or financial websites, such as the SEC’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure database or FINRA’s BrokerCheck. Read reviews, confirm licenses and search for scam alerts online.

2) Be suspicious of unsolicited messages and use strong antivirus software

If a text, email or social media message promises high returns, stop and think. Legitimate firms never cold-contact people about investment offers. Delete suspicious messages immediately and never click on links from unknown sources. Install and regularly update strong antivirus software on all your devices. This can block phishing attempts, malicious downloads, and fake investment platforms designed to steal your data.

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.

SCAMMERS NOW IMPERSONATE COWORKERS, STEAL EMAIL THREADS IN CONVINCING PHISHING ATTACKS

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Joe’s mother says the family filed police and FBI reports, but recovery is unlikely as criminals move money fast across borders and accounts. (Photo by Silas Stein/picture alliance via Getty Images)

Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.

3) Check email addresses and website domains

Scammers often use domains that look almost identical to real ones. Double-check for misspellings, extra letters or unusual web extensions like “.co” or “.biz.” If you’re unsure, search for the official company site separately in your browser.

4) Never wire money to strangers

Once you wire money to a scammer, recovery is nearly impossible. Never send money to someone you’ve only met online, even if they claim to represent a reputable company. Always confirm payment details through verified sources.

5) Talk to a trusted financial advisor

Before you invest large sums, get a second opinion from a licensed financial advisor. A professional can spot red flags and unrealistic promises that you might overlook.

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6) Use a data removal service

Protect your personal information by using a data removal or privacy service that scrubs your phone number, address and other details from people-search sites. This reduces the chance of scammers finding and targeting you.

While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the Internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.

Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.

Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com.

7) Enroll in an identity theft protection service

If scammers have your personal details, they could try to open credit cards or loans in your name. Enrolling in a reputable identity theft protection service adds another layer of security by monitoring your credit and alerting you to suspicious activity.

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Identity theft companies can monitor personal information like your Social Security Number (SSN), phone number and email address, and alert you if it is being sold on the dark web or being used to open an account. They can also assist you in freezing your bank and credit card accounts to prevent further unauthorized use by criminals.

FBI WARNS SENIORS ABOUT BILLION-DOLLAR SCAM DRAINING RETIREMENT FUNDS, EXPERT SAYS AI DRIVING IT

From antivirus and data-removal services to identity-theft monitoring, CyberGuy shares concrete steps to block phishing, verify firms and protect your money. (Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

See my tips and best picks on how to protect yourself from identity theft at Cyberguy.com.

8) Report suspicious activity immediately

If you believe you’ve been targeted or scammed, act fast. Contact your local police department, your bank and file a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Quick action can sometimes limit further loss or help investigators trace the fraud.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

Joe’s story is painful, but it’s also powerful. His honesty may stop someone else from losing everything. Online scams thrive when people stay silent, but sharing stories like Joe’s helps others stay alert. So before you trust anyone promising quick profits online, take a pause, verify everything and remember Joe’s story because one moment of caution could save you from a lifetime of regret.

Have you ever received an investment offer that seemed too good to be true? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide – free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM newsletter.

Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com.  All rights reserved. 

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Apple just had a record-breaking iPhone quarter

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Apple just had a record-breaking iPhone quarter

Apple says the iPhone had its “best-ever” quarter, with revenue hitting more than $85.3 billion over the past few months. The company announced the news as part of its Q1 2026 earnings report, which also revealed record-breaking revenue of $143.8 billion, up 16 percent when compared to the same time last year.

“iPhone had its best-ever quarter driven by unprecedented demand, with all-time records across every geographic segment, and Services also achieved an all-time revenue record, up 14 percent from a year ago,” Apple CEO Tim Cook says in the press release.

Apple’s services revenue, which includes subscriptions like Apple Music, iCloud, and Apple TV surged 14 percent year over year, while Mac and wearable revenue were down.

In the coming months, Apple will bring promised AI-powered personalization features to Siri. Apple is partnering with Google to power this upgrade, which will use a custom version of Google’s Gemini AI model.

The company is also acquiring an AI startup, called Q.ai, for $2 billion, according to the Financial Times. Though there aren’t any details on how Apple plans to use the startup’s technology, the Financial Times reports that Q.ai’s patents “show its technology being used in headphones or glasses, using ‘facial skin micro movements’ to communicate without talking.”

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Humanoid robot makes architectural history by designing a building

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Humanoid robot makes architectural history by designing a building

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What happens when artificial intelligence (AI) moves from painting portraits to designing homes? That question is no longer theoretical. 

At the Utzon Center in Denmark, Ai-Da Robot, the world’s first ultra-realistic robot artist, has made history as the first humanoid robot to design a building.

The project, called Ai-Da: Space Pod, is a modular housing concept created for future bases on the Moon and Mars. CyberGuy has covered Ai-Da before, when her work focused on drawing, painting and performance art. That earlier coverage showed how a robot could create original artwork in real time and why it sparked global debate.

Now, the shift is clear. Ai-Da is moving beyond art and into physical spaces designed for humans and robots to live in.

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3D-PRINTED HOUSING PROJECT FOR STUDENT APARTMENTS TAKES SHAPE

Ai-Da Robot is the humanoid artist that made architectural history by becoming the first robot to design a building. (FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)

Inside the ‘I’m not a robot’ exhibition

The exhibition “I’m not a robot” has just opened at Utzon Center and runs through October. It explores the creative capacity of machines at a time when robots are increasingly able to think and create for themselves. Visitors can experience Ai-Da’s drawings, paintings and architectural concepts. Throughout the exhibition period, visitors can also follow Ai-Da’s creative process through sketches, paintings and a video interview.

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How Ai-Da creates art and architecture

Ai-Da is not a digital avatar or animation. She has camera eyes, specially developed AI algorithms and a robotic arm that allows her to draw and paint in real time. Developed in Oxford and built in Cornwall in 2019, Ai-Da works across disciplines. She is a painter, sculptor, poet, performer and now an architectural designer whose work is meant to provoke reflection.

“Ai-Da presents a concept for a shared residential area called Ai-Da: Space Pod, a foreshadowing of a future where AI becomes an integrated part of architecture,” explains Aidan Meller, creator of Ai-Da and Director of Ai-Da Robot. “With intelligent systems, a building will be able to sense and respond to its occupants, adjusting light, temperature and digital interfaces according to needs and moods.”

A building designed for humans and robots

The Space Pod is intentionally modular. Each unit can connect to others through corridors, creating a shared residential environment.

Through a series of paintings, she envisions a home and studio for humans or robots alike. According to the Ai-Da Robot team, these designs could evolve into fully realized architectural models through 3D renderings and construction. They could also adapt to planned Moon or Mars base camps.

Aidan Meller presents Ai-Da robot, the first AI-powered robot artist during the UN Global Summit on AI for Good, where they are giving the keynote speech, on July 7, 2023, in Geneva, Switzerland. (Johannes Simon/Getty Images for Aidan Meller)

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While the concept targets future bases on the Moon and Mars, the design can also be built as a prototype on Earth. That detail matters as space agencies prepare for longer missions beyond our planet.

“With our first crewed Moon landing in 50 years coming in 2027, Ai-Da: Space Pod is a simple unit connected to other Pods via corridors,” Meller said. “Ai-Da is a humanoid designing homes. This raises questions about where architecture may go when powerful AI systems gain greater agency.” The timing also aligns with renewed lunar exploration tied to NASA missions.

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Why this exhibition is meant to challenge you

According to Meller, the exhibition is meant to feel uncomfortable at times. “Technology is developing at an extraordinary pace in these years, he said, pointing to emotional recognition through biometric data, CRISPR gene editing and brain computer interfaces. Each carries promise and ethical risk. He references Brave New World and warnings from Yuval Harari about how powerful technologies may be used. 

In that context, Ai-Da becomes a mirror of our time. “Ai-Da is confrontational. The very fact that she exists is confrontational,” said Line Nørskov Davenport, Director of Exhibitions at Utzon Center. “She is an AI shaker, a conversation starter.”

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Aidan Meller, British Gallery owner and specialist in modern and contemporary art, stands beside the AI robot artist “Ai-Da” at the Great Pyramids of Giza, where she exhibits her sculpture during an international art show, on the outskirt of Cairo, Egypt, Oct. 23, 2021.  (REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany)

What this means for you

This story goes beyond robots and space travel. Ai-Da’s Space Pod shows how quickly AI is moving from a creative tool to a decision-maker. Architecture, housing and shared spaces shape daily life. When AI enters those fields, questions about control, ethics and accountability become unavoidable. If a robot can design homes for the Moon, it may soon influence how buildings function here on Earth.

Take my quiz: How safe is your online security?

Think your devices and data are truly protected? Take this quick quiz to see where your digital habits stand. From passwords to Wi-Fi settings, you’ll get a personalized breakdown of what you’re doing right and what needs improvement. Take my Quiz here: Cyberguy.com.

Kurt’s key takeaways

A humanoid robot designing a building once sounded impossible. Today, Ai-Da’s work sits inside a major cultural institution and sparks real debate. She offers no easy answers. Instead, she pushes us to think more critically about creativity, technology and responsibility. As the line between human and machine continues to blur, those questions matter more than ever.

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If AI can design the homes of our future, how much creative control should humans be willing to give up? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.

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Halide co-founder Sebastiaan de With is joining Apple’s design team

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Halide co-founder Sebastiaan de With is joining Apple’s design team

I’ve never been more optimistic about the future of Lux and Halide. Today we launched the public preview of Halide Mark III, and the reception is more positive than we possibly could have hoped.

As we mentioned in the announcement post today, we’ve been working with legendary team at The Iconfactory on Mark III. We’re also super excited to be collaborating with the renowned colorist Cullen Kelly on the new looks in Mark III.

Ten years ago I started Halide, and for ten years, I lead product, ran the business, and coded almost everything. Except for the paywall. I hate working on payment screens. But I built everything else, and design was always a collaborative experience.

So in short, Halide is going nowhere. This has been my full time job since 2019, and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

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