The smoky car scam
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Hi, Kim Commando here. Well, first up, we have your digital life hack. And after that, I'm going to play a call for my weekend national radio show. Selling a car on Craigslist? There's a new scam that makes it look like your engine's about to explode, but it's all smoke and mirrors. I'm Kim Commando with Improved Life. I created GLP-1 support to manage cravings, support metabolism, and keep blood sugar on track. Find out more at improvedlife.com slash Kim.
What is the smoky car scam targeting people who sell on Craigslist?
Here's how it works. You list your car online. Someone messages saying they want to buy it. You meet. The buyer shows up with a mechanic friend. They ask to pop the hood so the expert can inspect the engine. You say, sure. Then the buyer pulls you to the back, saying he wants to check the trunk. While you're distracted, his buddy dumps oil on the hot engine block. Suddenly, smoke everywhere. They start yelling, your engine's blown. But hey, they're going to do you a solid and take it off your hands for cash right now, rock bottom price. Don't fall for it. The smoke clears in minutes. The scam, permanent. Join almost a million folks who get my five-star free newsletter every single day to stay tech ahead. Sign up at GetKim.com.
Next up, a call from my weekend show, The Kim Commando Show. Enjoy!
How do scammers create the 'engine about to explode' illusion during an inspection?
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And if something does happen, recovery couldn't be easier. Just log in and restore everything with one click, even on a brand new computer. Right now, get 50% off Carbonite when you go to Carbonite.com slash Kim. That's Carbonite.com slash Kim. Live a better digital life with Carbonite. A Burt in Little Rock, Arkansas. Hi there, Burt. Good afternoon. What's going on with you and Little Rock? How can I help you out?
Well, I had a question. Um, I read your, your mail every day and I quite frankly find the current has the most actionable advice of anything I read and I really enjoy it.
Oh, well, thank you. I appreciate that. That's so kind of you, Bart.
What immediate tactics do scammers use to pressure sellers into a low cash sale?
And like a lot of other people, I probably spend an inordinate amount of time cleaning up junk mail off of my, my, uh, personal mail. And I was thinking the other day, I'm a retired banker, and I remember 20 years ago in banking, somebody came up with the idea of a macro, M-A-C-R-O. And what it would do, it would execute, you could hit one key on the keyboard and execute like 10 different executable keys. And I was wondering, you know, as many times we have to put our password in to things or our email address, after I deleted 79 junk mails and had to put in there, you know, unsubscribe with my I think there's got to be a quicker way to do this.
How can sellers recognize the fake smoke trick and avoid getting scammed?
And the term macro popped up in my head, and I was wondering if you would know if there's a way to do that in the new computer systems.
Now, first of all, are you unsubscribing to junk email?
Yes, but that doesn't seem to work. They come right back from some other sender.
Yeah, see, you don't want to do that because what you do when you're unsubscribed to junk email, you are telling them, Bert responded.
Why does Kim recommend signing up for her free newsletter for tech and safety tips?
Bert is here. Let's send Bert more mail. So you're just better off leaving it in the junk folder and just removing it.
Well, I took your advice, as I said. I subscribed to – Yeah, you get the newsletter, which is really, really fabulous.
Let's talk about these macros. Macros were really big, like you said, 15, 20 years ago.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:26
2
What is the smoky car scam targeting people who sell on Craigslist?
0:26–1:12
3
How do scammers create the 'engine about to explode' illusion during an inspection?
1:12–2:37
4
What immediate tactics do scammers use to pressure sellers into a low cash sale?
2:37–3:18
5
How can sellers recognize the fake smoke trick and avoid getting scammed?
3:18–3:42
6
Why does Kim recommend signing up for her free newsletter for tech and safety tips?
3:42–4:33
7
What cloud backup solution does Kim endorse to protect personal files and why?
4:33–6:44