Billy Tolley swings a Microsoft Kinect around an abandoned room in sudden, jittery movements. “Whoa!” he says. “Dude, it was so creepy.” On the display, we see an anomaly of arrows, spheres, and red lines that disappears almost as soon as it arrives. For Tolley and Zak Bagans, two members of the Ghost Adventures YouTube channel, this is enough to suggest they should leave the building. Because for this team and other similar enthusiasts, that seemingly innocuous blotter of white arrows means something more terrifying: a glimpse at specters and phantoms invisible to the human eye.
Technology
Ghosts in the Kinect
Fifteen years after its release, just about the only people still buying the Microsoft Kinect are ghost hunters like Tolley and Bagans. Though the body-tracking camera, which was discontinued in 2017, started as a gaming peripheral, it also enjoyed a spirited afterlife outside of video games. But in 2025, its most notable application is helping paranormal investigators, like the Ghost Adventures team, in their attempts at documenting the afterlife.
The Kinect’s ability to convert the data from its body-tracking sensors into an on-screen skeletal dummy delights these investigators, who allege the figures it shows in empty space are, in fact, skeletons of the spooky, scary variety. Looking at it in use — the Kinect is particularly popular with ghost-hunting YouTubers — it’s certainly producing results, showing human-like figures where there are none. The question is: why?
With the help of ghost hunters and those familiar with how the Kinect actually works, The Verge set out to understand why the perhaps most misbegotten gaming peripheral has gained such a strong foothold in the search for the paranormal.
Part of the reason is purely technical. “The Kinect’s popularity as a depth camera for ghost hunting stems from its ability to detect depth and create stick-figure representations of humanoid shapes, making it easier to identify potential human-like forms, even if faint or translucent,” says Sam Ashford, founder of ghost-hunting equipment store SpiritShack.
This is made possible by the first-generation Kinect’s structured light system. By projecting a grid of infrared dots into an environment — even a dark one — and reading the resulting pattern, the Kinect can detect deformations in the projection and, through a machine-learning algorithm, discern human limbs within those deformations. The Kinect then converts that data into a visual representation of a stick figure, which, in its previous life, was pumped back into games like Dance Central and Kinect Sports.
The Kinect isn’t always seeing what it thinks it is
When it was released in 2010, the first-gen Kinect was cutting-edge technology: a high-powered, robust, and lightweight depth camera that condensed what would usually retail upward of $6,000 into a $150 peripheral. Today, you can find a Kinect on eBay for around $20. Ghost hunters, however, typically mount it to a carry handle and a tablet and upsell it for around $400-600, rebranded as a “structured light sensor” (SLS) camera. “The user will direct the camera to a certain point of the room where they believe activity to be present,” says Andy Bailey, founder of a gear shop for ghost hunters called Infraready. “The subject area will be absent of human beings. However, the camera will often calculate and display the presence of a skeletal image.”
Though this is often touted as proof we’re all bound for an eternity haunting aging hotels and abandoned prisons, Bailey urges caution, telling would-be ghost hunters that the cameras are best paired with other equipment to “provide an additional layer of supporting evidence.” For this, Ghost Hunters Equipment, the retail arm of haunted tour operator Ghost Augustine recommends that “EMF readings, temperature, baseline readings, and all of that are essential when considering authentication of paranormal activity.”
That’s because the Kinect isn’t always seeing what it thinks it is. But what is it actually seeing? Did Microsoft, while trying to break into a motion-control market monopolized by the Nintendo Wii, accidentally create a conduit through which we might glimpse the afterlife? Sadly, no.
Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images
The Kinect is actually a straightforward piece of hardware. It is trained to recognize the human body, and assumes that it’s always looking at one — because that’s what it’s designed to do. Whatever you show it, whether human or humanoid or something entirely different, it will try and discern human anatomy. If the Kinect is not 100 percent sure of its position, it might even look like the figure it displays is moving. “We may recognise the face of Jesus in a piece of toast or an elephant in a rock formation,” says Jon Wood, a science performer who has a show devoted to examining ghost hunting equipment. “Our brains are trying to make sense of the randomness.” The Kinect does much the same, except it cannot overrule its hunches.
That suits ghost hunters just fine, of course: the Kinect’s habit of finding human shapes where there are none is a crowd-pleaser. The Kinect, deployed in dark rooms bathed in infrared light from cameras and torches, wobbling in the hands of excitable ghost hunters as it tries to read a precise grid of infrared points, is almost guaranteed to show them what they want to see.
Much of ghost hunting depends on ambiguity. If you’re searching for proof of something, be it the afterlife or not, logic suggests you’d want tools that can provide the clearest results, the better to cement the veracity of that proof. Ghost hunters, however, prefer technology that will produce results of any kind: murky recordings on 2000s voice recorders that might be mistaken for voices, low-resolution videos haunted by shadowy artifacts, and any cheap equipment that can call into question the existence of dust (sorry, spirit orbs) — bonus points if battery life is temperamental.
“I’ve watched ghost hunters use two different devices for measuring electromagnetic fields (EMF),” Wood says. “One would be an accurate and expensive Trifled TF2, that never moves unless it actually encounters an electrical field. The other would be a £15 [$18], no-brand, ‘KII’ device with five lights that go berserk when someone so much as sneezes. Which one was more popular, do you think?”
Glitches aren’t tolerated — they’re encouraged
Given the notoriously unreliable skeletal tracking of the Kinect — most non-gaming applications bypass the Kinect’s default SDKs, preferring to process its raw data by other, less error-prone, means — it would be stranger if it didn’t see figures every time it’s deployed. But that’s the point. Like so much technology ghost hunters use, the Kinect’s flaws aren’t bugs or glitches. They’re not tolerated — they’re encouraged.
“If a person pays good money to enjoy a ghost hunt, what are they after?” Wood asks. “They prime themselves for a ‘spooky encounter’ and open up to the suggestion of anything being ‘evidence of a ghost’ — they want to find a ghost, so they make sure they do.”
If it were just the skeletal tracking that ghost hunters were after, better options are now possible with a simple color image. But improved methodology wouldn’t return the false-positives that maintain belief, and so skeletal tracking from 2010 is preferred. None of this is likely to move the needle for those who believe towards something more skeptical. But we do know why the Kinect (or SLS) returns the results it does, and we know it’s not ghosts.
That said, even if its results are erroneous, maybe the Kinect’s new lease on afterlife isn’t a bad thing. Much as ghosts supposedly patrol the same paths over and over until interrupted by ghost hunters, perhaps it’s fitting that the Kinect will continue forevermore to track human bodies — even if the bodies aren’t really there.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The Justice Department recently charged 455 people in its annual National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The cases involve more than $6.5 billion in alleged false claims. More state Medicaid units took part than in any prior year. Ninety of the accused are doctors or other licensed medical professionals. The DOJ says prosecutors still must prove the charges in court.
Many schemes used other people’s medical identities. Prosecutors also added aggravated identity theft charges in cases across dozens of states. In one case, the co-owner of a Virginia mental health company allegedly paid homeless people with hotel stays. Prosecutors say the company used their Medicaid numbers, then billed Medicaid for crisis services the patients never got.
For the people whose numbers got used, the case file may eventually close. Their medical records may not be so easy to fix. Once someone else’s treatment shows up under your name, it can add wrong information to your chart. It can also use up insurance benefits you may need later. That is harder to undo than canceling a credit card.
Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
- Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox.
- For simple, real-world ways to spot scams early and stay protected, visit CyberGuy.com – trusted by millions who watch CyberGuy on TV daily.
- Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide free when you join.
DR OZ WARNS MEDICARE SCAMMERS ARE STEALING BILLIONS — AND YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION COULD BE NEXT
Medical identity theft can put someone else’s claims, prescriptions or diagnoses into your health records, creating problems that can follow you into a doctor’s office. (iStock)
The identity thief’s treatment gets written into your file
Medical identity theft happens when someone uses your name, Social Security number (SSN), health insurance account number, or Medicare number to see a doctor, fill a prescription, buy medical equipment, or submit a claim, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
When care is billed under your name, the thief’s health information can blend into yours. The FTC warns that mixed records can affect the care you’re able to get and the benefits you are able to use. A blood type, a drug allergy, a diagnosis, or a prescription that belongs to a stranger can sit in the file a physician reads before treating you.
Data breaches can feed the market for medical identity theft
Hospitals and insurers hold the exact records that make the fraud work, and those records are stolen often. This does not mean every healthcare breach leads to fraud. However, it explains why your insurance number, Medicare number, SSN and medical records can become valuable long after a breach notice arrives.
This spring, NYC Health + Hospitals reported that an intruder had copied files that may have included health insurance information, medical information, biometric data, billing data and other personal information. The breach was later reported to affect roughly 1.8 million current and former patients and employees.
Once a name, SSN, insurance number, Medicare number or medical record reaches a criminal marketplace, it can be resold to operators who bill under someone else’s identity.
Treat your insurance card like a credit card
Your health insurance and Medicare numbers are what these operations need, so the FTC recommends guarding them the way you would a payment card.
- Keep enrollment forms, benefit statements, and prescription labels somewhere secure, and shred them before throwing them out.
- When a doctor’s office asks for your SSN, ask whether it can use another identifier or the last four digits instead.
- Be wary of anyone who calls, texts, or emails offering free braces, genetic tests, or medical supplies in exchange for your Medicare number; several of the schemes in the June takedown billed Medicare for exactly those items.
- If you are on Medicare, create or log in to your secure Medicare account and review your claims. You can also check your Medicare Summary Notice for services, supplies or equipment you do not recognize. If something looks wrong, call 1-800-MEDICARE.
HOSPICE FRAUD USES STOLEN IDENTITIES FOR FAKE PATIENTS
Experts urge patients to treat insurance cards like credit cards and quickly challenge unfamiliar medical bills, claims or benefits notices. (iStock)
Your credit report may never flag this fraud
Because a fraudulent medical claim runs through insurance and provider systems instead of a credit check, it skips the alerts most people rely on.
Here’s what the FTC says you should look out for:
- A bill or an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) statement for care you never received
- A call from a debt collector about a medical debt you do not owe
- A medical collection you do not recognize on your credit report
- A notice from your insurer that you have reached your benefit limit
- A Medicare Summary Notice that lists services, supplies or equipment you never received
What to do first if a medical claim looks wrong
If a bill, EOB or Medicare notice shows care you never received, move quickly and keep everything in writing.
1) Call your insurer or Medicare directly
Call your insurer or Medicare using the number on your card, not a number from a random text, email or voicemail.
2) Get the claim details
Ask for the provider name, date of service, claim number and service details.
3) Request the records in writing
Contact the provider in writing and request the medical or billing records tied to that claim.
4) Report the error
Report the error to your insurer’s fraud department.
5) File an identity theft report
File a report at IdentityTheft.gov if your medical identity was used. That gives you a recovery plan and documentation you may need if fraudulent bills or collections show up later.
6) Save every document
Keep copies of every bill, EOB, letter, portal message, police report and case number.
Correcting a medical file is slower than disputing a charge
Request your records from every provider, clinic, pharmacy, lab and insurer the thief may have used, then report each error in writing. Under HIPAA, a provider generally has 30 days to give you access to your records after a written request, with a possible 30-day extension.
Fixing the record itself can take longer. HHS says a covered provider or health plan usually has up to 60 days to act on a request to amend a medical record, with a possible 30-day extension in certain cases. If the provider or plan created the wrong information, it must amend inaccurate or incomplete information.
There’s one catch, though: a provider may refuse to release records that now contain a stranger’s information, citing that person’s privacy. If that happens, ask for the provider’s privacy officer or patient advocate. You can also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights if you do not get your records or an explanation within the required window.
TEXAS DATA BREACH HITS 3M LICENSE CUSTOMERS
Stolen Medicare, Medicaid or insurance numbers can be used to bill for care, medical equipment or prescriptions patients never received. (kali9/Getty Images)
A credit freeze alone won’t stop a claim under your insurance
A freeze blocks new accounts, but it does nothing about a claim filed with your insurance number. Because medical identity theft can move without touching your credit file, monitoring where your personal information appears is the earliest way to act on it.
An identity theft protection service can monitor the dark web, data broker sites and people-search sites for exposed SSNs, driver’s license numbers, medical ID numbers and email addresses. It can also track all three credit bureaus for medical collections that may follow and flag public-record changes tied to your name.
If misuse happens, some services include fraud resolution support to help you request records, dispute fraudulent claims and work with providers, insurers and credit bureaus. Some plans also include identity theft insurance for eligible recovery costs.
No service can prevent every misuse of your medical identity. However, ongoing monitoring may flag exposed information before another person’s treatment reaches your records and your insurance.
See my tips and best picks on Best Identity Theft Protection at CyberGuy.com.
Kurt’s key takeaways
Medical identity theft hits in a place most of us rarely check: our health records. A stolen credit card can usually be canceled quickly. A stolen Medicare or insurance number can create fake claims, wrong diagnoses and benefit headaches that follow you long after the fraud case ends. I would not wait for a credit alert here. Check your EOBs, Medicare Summary Notices and insurer portals for visits, prescriptions or equipment you never received. Also, treat your insurance card like a payment card. Do not give the number to anyone who calls, texts or emails out of nowhere with a free offer. The most important thing is to act fast. Call your insurer or Medicare, ask for the claim details and request your medical records in writing. Then file at IdentityTheft.gov, so you have the paperwork you need if fraudulent bills or collections show up later.
Have you ever spotted a medical bill, insurance claim or EOB for care you never received? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
- Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox.
- For simple, real-world ways to spot scams early and stay protected, visit CyberGuy.com – trusted by millions who watch CyberGuy on TV daily.
- Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide free when you join.
Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Meta might be the next company to make an always-on AI wearable. The company is working on prototype “super sensing” always-aware smart glasses that could continuously record audio and snap photos “every few seconds,” according to the Financial Times. The wearer could then ask Meta AI about the captured audio and images.
However, the images and audio might not be directly available to the user. Here’s how the FT describes one way the glasses could use the data:
In one proposed system, raw footage and audio would not be stored by Meta or made available to the user, several people said. Instead, the metadata from that audio and images would be extracted and uploaded to the server for Meta’s AI to query, which proponents argue would have fewer privacy implications.
But currently, Meta is planning for the LED recording indicator to remain off in “super sensing” mode, the FT reports. In a July 2025 whitepaper, the company said that it would reserve the LED indicator for “active capture” scenarios where the user is saving photos or videos, and leave it off during “AI Feature” use — such as scanning a menu — to avoid users becoming too used to the indicator. (If the indicator was on during the “super sensing” mode, it might also be harder to know when the glasses are actually recording video.)
Meta is also discussing if it would use the captured data for training its AI models. It may also bring the “super sensing” features to glasses it has already released, the FT says.
“While we don’t comment on internal prototypes, we’re committed to getting our glasses right because they need to be loved by both people wearing them and those around them,” Meta spokesperson Dave Arnold says in a statement to The Verge. Arnold also notes that “Our approach has been to develop new technologies that will help people throughout their day, with privacy built in from the ground up.”
Meta hasn’t been shy about some type of always-aware glasses being a possibility. CEO Mark Zuckerberg, in the company’s Q1 2026 earnings call, said that he was “really excited to see the glasses evolve from being able to answer questions to being able to be a personal agent that’s with you all day long, helping you remember things and achieve your goals.” In a March blog post about new Ray-Ban Meta glasses, the company wrote that “with ongoing software updates, Meta AI on glasses will transition from something you have to prompt with a question each time, to a more continuous, in-the-moment assistant that can help throughout the day.”
Even though they haven’t been officially announced yet, Samsung is giving you a chance to save some cash when you preorder what we’re expecting to be the brand’s updated Galaxy Z Fold phones. The next Galaxy Unpacked event will take place on July 22nd, 2026, and features the tagline “A new shape unfolds.” In addition to seeing updated versions of the existing Flip and Fold form factors, we anticipate the debut of a new, wider foldable phone. If you register your interest ahead of time and end up preordering one of the new phones shortly after they’re announced, Samsung will give you a $30 store credit at checkout.
There are some caveats to this offer. You have to use the credit when you preorder the phone. No saving it for later. Also, the credit can’t be applied to the cost of the phone either, so you’ll have to put it towards the cost of accessories or extra services. Samsung specifically calls out that select Galaxy rings, earbuds, watches, and tablets are eligible, or you can use it to help pay for Samsung Care Plus.
There are no downsides to registering your interest, so if you think you might be interested in buying one of the upcoming phones, it’s worth filling out the form. As long as you use the same email during checkout, the credit will be automatically applied.
-
Technology3 minutes agoMedical identity theft follows you into the doctor’s office
-
Business10 minutes agoCalifornia soccer fans sue StubHub after it fails to deliver expensive World Cup tickets
-
Entertainment13 minutes agoLucas Museum to give free annual passes to South L.A. neighbors, host community preview day
-
Lifestyle18 minutes agoMeow Wolf taps famed L.A. animation house for its new Los Angeles venue
-
Politics25 minutes ago
Column: Trump decries ‘communism’ while his government takes ownership of companies
-
Science28 minutes ago‘I’d rather my house burn down than get cancer’: Herbicide use upends California’s fight to save forests
-
Sports33 minutes agoDodgers scheduled to visit White House in late July to celebrate 2025 World Series win
-
World43 minutes agoFormer US Olympian pleads not guilty in DC reflecting pool vandalism case
