The SpaceX IPO is here, and it’s more than just an historic public offering that could make Elon Musk the world’s first trillionaire. It also reveals more ways in which Elon Musk’s companies interact and overlap with each other, shuffling money around in ways that are often difficult to keep track of.
Technology
The one thing scammers check before targeting you online
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Most people assume scammers need to hack something. A database. A password. A bank system. They don’t.
In most cases, everything a scammer needs to target you is already sitting online, publicly available, completely legal to access, and surprisingly easy to find.
Here’s what they’re actually looking at before they ever pick up the phone.
Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
- 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.
Data broker listings often include sensitive details like your address, phone number and relatives, making removal a critical first step. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Your personal profile is already out there, and it’s more complete than you think
There’s an entire industry built around collecting and selling your personal information. It’s called data brokering, and most people have never heard of it.
Right now, without your knowledge or consent, your details are being published by dozens of websites, including:
- People search sites (like Whitepages, Spokeo, and BeenVerified): your full name, current address, phone numbers, and age.
- Address lookup tools: your current and past home addresses, sometimes going back decades.
- Relatives databases: the names and contact information of your family members, automatically linked to your profile.
- Property records: whether you own your home, what it’s worth, and when you bought it.
None of this requires a hack. It’s all pulled from public records, voter registrations, court filings, real estate transactions, marriage and divorce records and assembled into a profile that anyone can search for a few dollars or sometimes for free.
They’re not guessing. They’re researching
In 2024, federal prosecutors indicted a network of scam call centers operating out of Montreal that had defrauded hundreds of elderly Americans out of more than $21 million. What made the scheme so effective wasn’t sophisticated technology. It was a spreadsheet.
The scammers were working from lists of potential victims that included names, ages, and household income information pulled from commercial databases. They used those lists to identify targets, then called them pretending to be grandchildren in trouble. The calls were convincing enough that victims handed over thousands of dollars, sometimes in cash picked up at the door.
They didn’t hack anyone. They just did their research first.
WHY WIDOWS AND DIVORCED WOMEN ARE TARGETS FOR RETIREMENT SCAMS
A call that sounds personal or urgent often relies on real information found about you online. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Three ways scammers turn your public data into a weapon
Scammers use your publicly available data to make their attacks more personal, believable and harder to detect. Here are three ways they do it.
1) Impersonating your bank
A scammer calls and says, “Hi, this is fraud prevention at [your bank]. We’re seeing suspicious activity on your account ending in 4721.”
They already know your bank, your name, and possibly your address. That’s enough to sound legitimate. From there, they walk you through “confirming your identity,” which is really just you handing over the information they need to access your account.
This kind of scam starts with a simple people-search lookup. Your name and address lead to property records. Property records suggest your income range.
2) The family emergency call
Imagine getting a call: “Meemaw, it’s me. I’m in trouble. Please don’t tell Mom.” Scammers don’t guess. Instead, they research your family first. They use relatives’ databases to find your children’s names, ages and connections.
With that information, they build a story that sounds real. For example, they know to call you “Meemaw.” They also know which grandchild to impersonate. In some cases, they even mention a sibling’s name to make the story more convincing.
As a result, the call feels personal and urgent. However, none of it is random. It’s all based on information that was publicly available the entire time.
3) Targeted phishing with your own details
A phishing email that says “Dear Customer” is easy to ignore. One that says “Dear [your full name], we noticed unusual activity on your account registered to [your home address]” is a lot harder to dismiss.
Scammers use publicly available data to personalize attacks, adding your real name, city, or even a reference to your neighborhood to make a fake email or text look authentic. The more specific the details, the more likely you are to believe it.
“But I’m not on social media.” This is the most common objection, and it misses the point entirely.
You don’t have to be on social media for your information to be online. Data brokers pull from public records, not your Facebook profile. Your information is likely already listed on dozens of sites because of:
The less they think they’ve shared, the more surprised people usually are when they search for themselves on a people-search site for the first time.
DATA BROKERS ACCUSED OF HIDING OPT-OUT PAGES FROM GOOGLE
The more details a scam includes, the more likely it is built from your publicly available data. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
How to reduce your exposure
You don’t have to accept this as permanent. A few practical steps can help:
- Search your full name on Whitepages, Spokeo, FastPeopleSearch, and other people-search sites and submit opt-out requests.
- Look up your address directly, not just your name, since many listings are organized by location.
- Ask elderly family members to search for themselves, too, since older adults are disproportionately targeted.
- Be skeptical of any call that opens with personal details, as it can be a sign that someone researched you first.
How to remove your personal data and stop scammers from finding you
The challenge is that there are hundreds of data broker sites, each with its own removal process. Manually opting out of all of them can take hours, and your information often reappears weeks later when brokers refresh their databases.
That’s why ongoing automated removal is the only approach that actually works. That’s why I recommend using a trusted data removal service.
These services automatically contact data brokers on your behalf and request the removal of your personal information. They also continue monitoring those sites and submit new removal requests if your data reappears.
Many services remove personal data from hundreds of data broker and people-search websites, and some plans allow you to request removals from additional sites as needed.
Some have also received third-party assurance from independent firms, helping validate their claims.
The goal is simple: make it much harder for strangers, scammers, and cybercriminals to find your personal information online.
These services often include a money-back guarantee, so you can try them risk-free and see how much of your information is exposed online.
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
Kurt’s key takeaways
Most scams don’t start with a breach. They start with a search. Your name, address, relatives and even income clues are already out there, quietly fueling more convincing and more dangerous attacks. That’s what makes this so unsettling. You can do everything “right” online and still be exposed because the system itself is built to share your information. The good news is you’re not powerless. Once you understand how scammers build their playbook, you can start disrupting it. Removing your data, limiting exposure and staying skeptical of anyone who knows a little too much about you can dramatically reduce your risk. The goal isn’t to disappear completely. It’s to make yourself a much harder target.
What should be done to stop scammers from using your publicly available data against you in the first place? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
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.
Its name might be dull and uninspired, but the Philips 24B2D5300 Business Monitor brings a novel feature I’ve never seen on a display before: screens on either side. The design will primarily benefit people who are constantly angling their computer screen so those on both sides of a desk can see it, like a car salesperson walking a buyer through configuration options or a doctor conferring with a patient. But there are some potential co-working applications, too.
Featuring back-to-back 23.8-inch LCD panels with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 at 120 Hz, the monitor can be connected to one or multiple devices using either a pair of power-delivering USB-C ports, or a pair of HDMI ports. In most scenarios it will be connected to a single computer with the same thing mirrored on both sides, but the dual displays can also be used as two extended displays with one side showing public-facing info and the other for private details. Repositioning the monitor could be tricky since it can’t be mounted to an articulated arm, but its base swivels 180-degrees so you can still spin it around to easily double-check what’s displayed on the other side.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
You open your inbox and see a billing alert. It claims you signed up for Geek Squad protection. The total is $489.99. There is a big button to pay now.
There is only one problem. You never signed up. That is where this scam starts. This email is built to create urgency. It pushes you to act before you think. Once you slow down and read it closely, the red flags show up everywhere.
Let’s look at the warning signs one by one.
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.
AMAZON RECALL TEXT SCAM COMES WITH RED FLAGS
Cybersecurity experts warn consumers not to click payment links or call phone numbers listed in suspicious billing emails claiming urgent charges or subscriptions. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
First red flag: It doesn’t even use your name
The email is addressed to a generic recipient. There is no real personalization.
Legit companies almost always use your name if you have an account. They also reference past activity. This email does neither.
That tells you one thing. It was sent in bulk to thousands of people, hoping someone bites.
Second red flag: Too many companies in one email
This message mentions:
- Geek Squad
- QuickTax Billing
- Razorpay
That mix makes no sense. Geek Squad is tied to Best Buy. Razorpay is a payment processor based in India. “QuickTax Billing” is vague and not a known consumer brand in this context.
Real billing emails stay consistent. One company. One system. Clear branding. Scammers often mash names together to sound legitimate.
Third red flag: The fake urgency trap
The email says your account will be charged within 48 hours. That line is doing all the heavy lifting.
It creates pressure. It makes you feel like you need to act now. That is how people get pushed into clicking the payment button.
Legitimate subscriptions do not work this way. You do not get a random warning and a demand to pay through a new link.
Fourth red flag: The ‘Proceed to Pay’ button
The email asks you to complete your first transaction. That isn’t how subscriptions work. If you signed up, payment would already be processed.
This button likely leads to one of two things:
- A fake payment page that steals your card details
- A phishing site that collects your personal information
Either way, clicking it puts you at risk.
Fifth red flag: Strange wording and formatting
There are small details that matter:
- Random German word “Rechnung” appears in the invoice
- Awkward spacing and underscores show up in the text
- The tone feels off and inconsistent
These are signs of a template that has been reused and poorly edited. Real companies do not send billing emails like this.
Sixth red flag: The phone number
The email includes a support number with the (813) area code. This is a common scam tactic.
If you call, the scammer may:
- Pretend to cancel the charge
- Ask for remote access to your computer
- Walk you through a fake refund process
That “refund” process is where victims lose money.
Is the Razorpay email legit or part of a scam?
The email shows it came from subscriptions@razorpay.com. That sounds legitimate. Razorpay is a real payment platform. But here is the catch.
Scammers often abuse real services to send emails. They create accounts and send fake invoices through them. That makes the message look more credible.
So yes, Razorpay is real. This email is still a scam.
What Razorpay says about this scam email
Razorpay says the account tied to this email was never capable of processing real payments.
“Our preliminary review indicates that this merchant account was in test mode and not activated for live transactions on Razorpay. Payments cannot be processed in test mode, and any such transaction would not have gone through. The account was operating within a limited test environment (with a capped request limit) and has since been identified and disabled immediately. Razorpay has strict risk checks and compliance processes in place to detect and act against such misuse. We continue to monitor proactively and take swift action against any attempts to abuse the platform.”
While that may sound reassuring, it does not make the email harmless. Scammers are not relying on the payment itself to go through. They are using familiar branding to make the message feel legitimate. That credibility is what pushes people to click the “Proceed to Pay” button or call the phone number, where the real scam begins. In many cases, victims who call are pressured into sharing personal information or giving remote access to their devices. Others may be redirected to a different payment method outside the platform. The goal is to get you to click or call so the scam can move forward.
Why are you getting this scam email?
There is no special reason. This type of scam is sent to massive lists of email addresses. Some are scraped online. Others come from past data breaches.
The scammers are not targeting you personally. They are playing a numbers game. All they need is a small percentage of people to respond.
We reached out to Razorpay and Best Buy, which owns Geek Squad, for comment, but did not hear back before our deadline.
IS THAT TRAFFIC TICKET TEXT A SCAM OR REAL?
Scammers are using real company names like Geek Squad and Razorpay to make fraudulent billing emails look legitimate and pressure victims into acting quickly. (Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
What this Geek Squad billing scam is trying to do
There are two main goals:
- Get you to click the payment link
- Get you to call the number
Both paths lead to the same outcome. They want your money or your personal data. The $489 price isn’t random. It is high enough to scare you. It is also believable enough to feel real.
What you can learn from this scam email
This email checks almost every classic scam box:
- Unexpected charge
- Urgency
- Confusing branding
- Payment link
- Support number
Once you know the pattern, you start to see it everywhere.
Ways to stay safe from billing scam emails
Start with a simple rule. Never act directly from the email.
Instead:
- Go to the company’s official website yourself
- Log into your account and check for charges
- Ignore phone numbers listed in suspicious emails
Also:
- Do not click payment links you did not expect
- Do not download attachments from unknown senders
- Mark these emails as spam to train your inbox
Watch for warning signs:
- Check the sender’s full email address, not just the display name
- Look for generic greetings or missing personal details
- Be cautious of urgent language pushing you to act fast
Protect your information:
- Never give remote access to your computer to someone who contacts you unexpectedly
- Do not share passwords, verification codes or banking details over the phone or email
- Consider using a data removal service to limit how much of your personal information is exposed online, which can reduce your risk of being targeted by scams like this. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at CyberGuy.com
If you already clicked or responded:
- Contact your bank or credit card company right away
- Change your passwords, especially for email and financial accounts, and consider using a password manager to create and store strong, unique passwords. Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at CyberGuy.com
- Use strong antivirus software to scan your device and remove any potential threats
If you are unsure, pause. Scammers rely on speed. You protect yourself by slowing down.
FAKE TRAFFIC VIOLATION TEXT SCAM USES QR CODES TO STEAL PAYMENT INFO
A fake Geek Squad billing email is targeting inboxes with a bogus $489.99 charge and a “Proceed to Pay” button designed to steal personal information. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
Kurt’s key takeaways
This email looks convincing at a glance. It uses real brand names and a polished layout. That is what makes it dangerous. But when you read it carefully, it falls apart. No name. Conflicting companies. Pressure to pay. Strange formatting. Those details matter. The more familiar you are with these tactics, the harder it becomes for scammers to trick you.
If a message can look this real and still be fake, how confident are you that the next one in your inbox is safe? 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.
This is evident in ways that are both obvious and less so. A CTRL-F search for “Tesla” yields 87 results, xAI is mentioned 356 times, and X 267 times. Even the Boring Company (7 times) and Neuralink (3) get a few mentions. Throughout its 330 pages of rocket launches and interplanetary wishes, you can trace the network of ways in which Musk’s companies deal with each other.
It’s also evident in the ways Musk’s companies are shareholders in other Musk companies, further intertwining their fates in the process. Based on the Form S-1 filing, Tesla owns nearly 19 million shares of SpaceX’s Class A common stock, which is less than 1 percent of the total outstanding stock. Tesla’s stake in xAI was converted to SpaceX shares after Elon Musk merged his AI company with his space company in February.
The filing also reveals SpaceX bought $131 million worth of Cybertrucks “at manufacturer’s suggested retail price from Tesla.” A Bloomberg report earlier this year suggested that SpaceX bought 1,279 Cybertrucks in the fourth quarter of 2025, but the IPO suggests it has probably acquired a few more than that. As Electrek notes, without these purchases, Cybertruck registration numbers likely would have gone down year over year.
Tesla’s Megapacks, the company’s giant stationary storage batteries, are used to stabilize SpaceX’s Colossus I and II data centers in Memphis, TN, during peak demand. The rocket company purchased $697 million worth of Megapacks from Tesla in 2024 and 2025.
SpaceX’s relationship with Musk’s Boring Company is much more quaint in comparison. The tunneling venture has paid about $1.2 million in office leases to SpaceX. And SpaceX spent about $1 million for the Boring Company to dig a tunnel at its headquarters in Bastrop, Texas.
SpaceX was valued at $1.25 trillion earlier this year after merging with xAI, Musk’s AI company that also owns X, formerly Twitter. The tie-up means investors will be buying in at a historically high price — but Musk combined the companies at great cost to himself, and also SpaceX. The filing showed that the rocket company directed about 60 percent of its capital spending in 2025 toward xAI, or about $20 billion. But as TechCrunch notes, xAI lost billions of dollars last year on revenue that grew by only 22 percent year over year.
When going public, companies are required to list their risk factors, under the assumption that investors should know about all the skeletons in the closet before putting their money down. For SpaceX, the biggest risk is also the biggest asset: Elon Musk.
For SpaceX, the biggest risk is also the biggest asset: Elon Musk.
While any company, especially one as complex as SpaceX, would be expected to include a long list of risk factors in its S-1, SpaceX’s is unique in that it includes its own CEO. The filing explicitly states that SpaceX is “highly dependent on the continued services of Mr. Musk,” noting that his leadership, vision, and technical expertise are critical to the company’s future.
Like other Musk-owned companies, SpaceX acknowledges that Musk isn’t always 100 percent focused on SpaceX. And it admits that Musk’s intersecting businesses may end up cannibalizing each other in some way. Conflicts could arise. And if they do, Musk is not “restricted” from doing something that directly competes with his other companies, including SpaceX.
Conflicts of interest could arise in the future between us, on the one hand, and Mr. Musk and entities owned by or affiliated with him, on the other hand, concerning among other things, business transactions, potential competitive business activities or other opportunities…. Furthermore, Mr. Musk and other businesses owned by or affiliated with him may now, or in the future, directly or indirectly, compete with us for investment or business opportunities.
The S-1 goes on to enumerate the ways in which Musk’s extensive entanglements could result in financial loss for SpaceX. The company is completely dependent on his leadership, and yet could also incur big losses as a result of said leadership. (See: Tesla in 2025.)
For instance, Mr. Musk currently serves as Technoking and Chief Executive Officer of Tesla and is involved in other emerging technology ventures, including Neuralink and The Boring Company. Mr. Musk has also previously served as Senior Advisor to the President of the United States. Any such loss or reduced involvement in our business could result in a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and future prospects.
The pull between risk and reward is a running theme throughout the filing.
We, Mr. Musk, and other companies Mr. Musk is affiliated with frequently receive an immense amount of media attention. The actions and statements of Mr. Musk and his affiliated ventures, whether or not directly relating to us, may draw significant public attention and scrutiny to us and could potentially have a positive or negative impact on our business, relationships with customers and regulators, or stock price.
These are not statements you find in your average S-1 filing, but SpaceX is not your typical IPO. Musk stands to make billions if SpaceX establishes a “permanent” colony on Mars with “at least” a million inhabitants. He’s also a shit magnet that could do serious damage to SpaceX’s reputation. Musk’s companies do business with and are deeply entangled with each other in ways laid bare by the filing. They buy each other’s stuff, compete with each other for RAM, AI chips, and other ultra valuable components that are increasingly in short supply.
Occasionally, his shareholders push back. In 2024, several Tesla shareholders sued Musk over claims he was knowingly diverting talent and resources away from the company and directing it toward, xAI. That lawsuit is still pending.
Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.
-
Lifestyle31 minutes ago‘It’s one of my dreams,’ Rose Byrne says of her comic turn on Broadway
-
Education37 minutes agoVideo: Opinion | A Defense of a Liberal Arts Education in the Age of A.I.
-
Technology43 minutes agoPhilips’ new display has a screen on both sides
-
World49 minutes agoRecord number of climbers summit Mount Everest from Nepali side despite overcrowding concerns
-
Politics55 minutes agoSenate GOP erupts over Trump DOJ ‘anti-weaponization’ fund, punts ICE, Border Patrol funding
-
Health1 hour ago‘Wild West’ peptide craze surges beyond GLP-1s as FDA faces pressure to ease access
-
Sports1 hour agoCollege football player William Davis cause of death revealed: report
-
Technology1 hour agoFake Geek Squad billing scam email: Red flags and how to avoid
