Technology
Tips to follow from one incredibly costly conversation with cyber crooks
It is the crummiest feeling of getting fooled and ripped off by online swindlers.
A former New York Times writer courageously shares a day from hell when an orchestrated attack starting with a phone call ended with her handing crooks $50,000 in cash.
Before you rush to conclusions and think, “That could never happen to me,” think again.
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Woman talking on her cell phone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
The anatomy of a $50,000 scam
In “The Day I Put $50,000 in a Shoe Box and Handed It to a Stranger,” Charlotte Cowles, a finance writer, explains how she was deceived by a very complex fraud.
It started when Cowles received a phone call from someone claiming to be from Amazon customer service, alerting her to suspicious activity on her account, which quickly escalated into a total nightmare scenario involving identity theft, drug trafficking and money laundering charges linked to her name.
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Here’s what happened:
- The scam escalated when she was transferred to someone claiming to be from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), who informed her that her identity was linked to serious criminal activities, including money laundering and drug trafficking.
- The scammer, now pretending to be a CIA agent, convinced her that her assets were being investigated and that she needed to secure her funds by withdrawing $50,000 in cash.
- Under the pretense of protecting her from supposed criminal charges and ensuring the safety of her assets, the scammer instructed Cowles to place the $50,000 in cash inside a shoebox and hand it over to an accomplice who would arrive at her location.
- The scammer exploited personal information about Cowles, such as her home address, Social Security Number and details about her family, to create a sense of urgency and fear.
- Despite her background in financial journalism and personal finance, Cowles was manipulated into complying with the scammer’s demands, highlighting that scam victims can come from any demographic and possess various levels of education and financial literacy.
- The scam concluded with Cowles handing over the money to a stranger in a white Mercedes SUV. She later realized the extent of the deception and reported the incident to the police, though the money was never recovered.
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The con’s manipulation
Charlotte is manipulated into believing her and her family’s safety is at risk, which leads her to withdraw a whopping $50,000 from her savings and hand it over to the scammers under the guise of protecting her assets.
Scammer on a laptop committing a crime (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
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Drawn into the scammer’s web of lies
Despite her background in personal finance and being considered rational and dependable, Charlotte is drawn into the scammer’s web of lies, highlighting the psychological manipulation techniques used by scammers.
The psychology of Charlotte’s scam
The scam taps into Charlotte’s deep-seated fears for her family’s well-being, initially hooking her attention. The scammer then isolates her by insisting she communicate with no one else, effectively cutting off potential sources of support or reality checks. The sense of urgency is escalated as the scammer pressures her to act swiftly and forego any form of verification.
The scam preyed on her trust in authority figures and her desire to resolve the fabricated crisis, leading her to make decisions that, in hindsight, seem totally irrational.
The lessons for all of us
Her account sheds light on how scammers use fear, urgency and isolation to exploit even the financially knowledgeable, underscoring the critical need for vigilance and skepticism toward unexpected requests for personal information or money.
More alarming are recent stats that younger adults that fall into the Gen Z, Gen X and millennial groups are 34% more likely to report getting ripped off by fraud, according to the FTC.
To enhance your protection against elaborate scams and identity theft, consider these strategies:
Cash and the word “fraud” written on a pad of paper (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
MORE: HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM VENMO, ZELLE AND CASH APP SCAM THAT CAN WIPE OUT YOUR SAVINGS IN SECONDS
How to make yourself strong to help fend off scams and attacks
Here are four tips that can help you protect your identity, your data and your devices from online fraudsters and hackers. By following these steps, you can increase your security and confidence when dealing with online transactions and communications.
Tip No. 1 — Verify unexpected contacts
If you receive an unexpected text, email or call involving financial transactions of any sort, independently verify they are legit.
Tip No 2 — Make yourself resilient from online malware and attacks with strong antivirus protection
Equip all your connected devices with robust antivirus software to defend against malware, ransomware and other cyberthreats that could compromise your personal and financial information.
Having good antivirus software actively running on your devices will alert you of any malware in your system, warn you against clicking on any malicious links in phishing emails and ultimately protect you from being hacked. Get my picks for the best 2024 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.
These proactive measures can significantly lower your risk of falling victim to sophisticated scams by limiting access to your personal information and enhancing your ability to respond quickly to potential threats.
Tip No. 3 — Remove your personal information from the internet
Today’s scammers are crafty and take advantage of any personal details they can learn about you. Data removal services can make it tougher for them to find intimate details about you.
While no service promises to remove all your data from the internet, having a data 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 removal services here.
On your own, you should take the time to make all your social media posts private or only accessible to friends and family to keep strangers from harvesting personal details about your life.
Tip No. 4 — Use identity protection services to know when your identity is being stolen
Theft protection companies can monitor personal information like your home title, Social Security Number, phone number and email address and alert you if it is 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. Read more of my review of best identity theft protection services here.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
The story of Charlotte Cowles is a sobering reminder of how vulnerable we all are to online fraud, especially in times of stress and uncertainty. Scammers are constantly evolving their tactics and targeting new victims, regardless of their age, education or income level. No one is immune to the power of fear, isolation and urgency that scammers use to manipulate us into giving away our money or personal information.
The best way to protect ourselves and our loved ones from these scams is to be aware, alert and skeptical of any unsolicited or suspicious contact, whether it is by phone, email, text or social media. We should also take steps to safeguard our personal information online, such as antivirus protection, identity protection services and removing our data from public databases. By doing so, we can reduce the chances of becoming a victim of fraud and identity theft.
Have you ever been a victim of a scam or attempted scam? How did it happen, and how did you deal with it? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact
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Copyright 2024 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Microsoft Edge is adding a new feature that will allow its Copilot AI chatbot to gather information from all of your open tabs. When you start a conversation with Copilot, you can ask the chatbot questions about what’s in your tabs, compare the products you’re looking at, summarize your open articles, and more.
In its announcement, Microsoft says you can “select which experiences you want or leave off the ones you don’t.” The company is retiring Copilot Mode as well, which could similarly draw information from your tabs but offered some agentic features, like the ability to book a reservation on your behalf. Microsoft has since folded these agentic capabilities into its “Browse with Copilot” tool.
Several other AI features are coming to Edge, including an AI-powered “Study and Learn” mode that can turn the article you’re looking at into a study session or interactive quiz. There’s a new tool that turns your tabs into AI-powered podcasts as well, similar to what you’d find on NotebookLM, and an AI writing assistant that will pop up when you start entering text on a webpage.
You can also give Copilot permission to access your browsing history to provide more “relevant, high-quality answers,” according to Microsoft. Copilot in Edge on desktop and mobile will come with “long-term memory” as well, which can tailor its responses based on your previous conversations. And, when you open up a new tab, you’ll see a redesigned page that combines chat, search, and web navigation, along with the Journeys feature, which uses AI to organize your browsing history into categories that you can revisit.
Meanwhile, an update to Edge’s mobile app will allow you to share your screen with Copilot and talk through the questions about what you’re seeing. Microsoft says you’ll see “clear visual cues” when Copilot is active, “so you know when it’s taking an action, helping, listening, or viewing.”
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If you bought a newer iPhone because Apple made Siri sound like it was about to become your personal artificial intelligence sidekick, you may want to pay attention.
Apple has agreed to pay $250 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over claims that it misled customers about new Apple Intelligence and Siri features. The case centers on the iPhone 16 launch and certain iPhone 15 models that were marketed as ready for Apple’s next wave of AI. The settlement still needs court approval, and Apple denies wrongdoing.
The lawsuit argues that Apple promoted a smarter, more personal Siri before those features were actually available. For some buyers, that was a big deal. A new iPhone can cost hundreds of dollars, and many people upgrade only when they think they are getting something meaningfully new.
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WHY IPHONE USERS ARE THE NEW PRIME SCAM TARGETS
U.S. buyers of certain iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 Pro models may qualify for payments if a judge approves Apple’s proposed settlement. (Getty Images)
What Apple is accused of promising
Apple introduced Apple Intelligence in June 2024 and promoted it as a major step forward for iPhone, iPad and Mac. A key part of that pitch was a more personalized Siri that could understand context, work across apps and help with everyday tasks in a more useful way.
The lawsuit claims Apple’s marketing made consumers believe those advanced Siri features would arrive with the iPhone 16 or soon after. Instead, buyers received phones that had some Apple Intelligence tools, but not the full Siri overhaul that many expected.
That gap is the heart of the case. Plaintiffs say customers bought or upgraded devices based on AI features that were not ready. Apple says it has rolled out many Apple Intelligence features and settled the case, so it can stay focused on its products.
How much money could iPhone owners get?
The proposed settlement creates a $250 million fund. Eligible customers who file approved claims are expected to receive at least $25 per eligible device. That amount could rise to as much as $95 per device, depending on how many people file claims and other settlement factors.
That means this will not be a huge payday for most people. Still, if you bought one of the covered phones, it may be worth watching for a claim notice. A few minutes of paperwork could put some money back in your pocket.
Which iPhones may qualify?
The proposed settlement covers U.S. buyers who purchased any iPhone 16 model, iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max between June 10, 2024, and March 29, 2025.
Covered iPhone 16 models include the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPhone 16e. The settlement also includes the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, but not every iPhone 15 model.
The key details are the device model, the purchase date and whether the phone was bought in the United States.
HOW YOU CAN GET A SLICE OF APPLE’S $250M IPHONE SETTLEMENT
Apple has agreed to pay $250 million to settle claims it misled customers about Apple Intelligence and Siri features on newer iPhones. (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg)
How will you file a claim?
You do not need to do anything immediately. The settlement still needs a judge’s approval. Once the claims process opens, eligible customers are expected to receive a notice by email or mail with instructions on how to file through a settlement website.
That notice matters because scammers love moments like this. A real settlement notice should not ask for your Apple ID password, bank login or payment to claim your money. If you receive a message about this settlement, do not click blindly. Go slowly, check the sender and look for the official settlement administrator details once they are available.
Why this case matters beyond one Siri feature
This case hits a bigger nerve. Tech companies are racing to sell AI as the next must-have feature. That creates a problem for shoppers. You are often asked to buy now based on what a company says will arrive later.
That can be frustrating when the feature is the reason you upgraded. A smarter Siri sounds useful. A phone that can understand your personal context, search across apps and help with daily tasks could save time. But if those tools are delayed, limited or missing, the value of the upgrade changes.
This settlement also sends a message about AI marketing. Companies can talk about future features, but consumers need clear timing and plain explanations. “Coming soon” can mean very different things when you are spending $800, $1,000 or more.
We reached out to Apple for comment, but did not hear back before our deadline.
FIRST 15 THINGS TO DO OR TRY FIRST WHEN YOU GET A NEW IPHONE
Apple denies wrongdoing but agreed to settle claims tied to its marketing of Apple Intelligence and Siri features. (Qilai Shen/Bloomberg)
What this means to you
If you bought a covered iPhone during the settlement period, keep an eye on your email and regular mail. You may qualify for a payment if the court approves the deal.
You should also keep your receipt or proof of purchase if you have it. Your Apple purchase history, carrier account or retailer receipt may help if the claim process asks for details.
More broadly, this is a reminder to treat AI features like any other big tech promise. Before you upgrade, ask one simple question: Can the feature do what is being advertised today, or is the company asking me to wait?
That question can save you from buying a device for a future feature that may arrive much later than expected.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
Apple has built its brand on making technology feel polished, personal and easy to use. That is why this Siri settlement hits a nerve. People were buying phones they use every day for texts, photos, directions, reminders and everything in between. Many expected AI to make those everyday tasks easier, which is why the delay felt frustrating. The proposed payout may be modest, but the bigger issue is trust. When a company sells AI as a reason to upgrade, customers deserve to know what actually works now and what is still coming later.
Would you still buy a new phone for promised AI features, or would you wait until they actually show up? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.
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Copyright 2026 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Instagram is once again cribbing from competitors like Snapchat and BeReal with a new photo-sharing format it calls “Instants,” which are ephemeral photos that you can’t edit and that you can only share with your close friends or followers that follow you back. Instants are available globally beginning on Wednesday as a feature in the inbox in the Instagram app and as a separate app that’s now in testing in select countries.
To access Instants from the Instagram app, go to your DM inbox and look in the bottom-right corner for an icon or a stack of photos. After you post a photo, your friends can emoji react to it and send a reply to your DMs, but after they see it, the photo disappears for them. Instants also disappear after 24 hours, and they can’t be captured in screenshots or screen recordings.
However, your Instants will remain in an archive for you for up to a year, and you can reshare them as a recap to your Instagram Stories if you’d like. You can also undo sending an Instant right after you post it or delete it from your archive.
The Instants mobile app, which popped up in Italy and Spain in April, gives you “immediate access to the camera” and only requires an Instagram account, Instagram says. “Instants you share on the separate app will show up for friends on Instagram and vice versa. We’re trying this separate app out to see how our community uses it, and we’ll continue to evolve it as we learn more.”
Instagram, in its testing, has seen that people “tend to use Instants to share much more casual, much more authentic moments about their day,” according to Instagram boss Adam Mosseri. “And we know that this type of sharing of personal moments with friends is a core part of what makes Instagram Instagram, but we also know that a lot of people don’t really share a lot to their profile grids anymore.”
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