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WhatsApp's New "Read and Delete" Feature Is Coming, And It's Actually a Big Deal for Your Privacy
WhatsApp is testing a new feature that deletes messages after they've been read, not just after a timer. Here's what you need to know. Okay, this is a good one. WhatsApp, the messaging app owned by Meta and used by over two billion people worldwide, is quietly testing a new feature that will delete your messages automatically after the other person has read them. Not after a timer. After they've actually read it. That's a meaningful difference. And if you care about your priv
Michael Routhier
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They Asked the AI Nicely. It Handed Over the Keys.
They didn't need a weapon. They just needed a chat window and a machine that was designed to be helpful. I want you to read this sentence very carefully. Hackers broke into high-profile Instagram accounts; including the Barack Obama White House account, the Chief Master Sergeant of the US Space Force, and global beauty brand Sephora, not by cracking a password. Not by writing sophisticated malware. Not by exploiting some buried technical vulnerability that took months to find
Michael Routhier
6 days ago7 min read
UK Criminals Are Cloning Your Voice to Drain Your Bank Account: Here's How It Works
UK criminals are using AI to clone your voice and your bank can't tell the difference. I want you to stop for a second. Your voice. The one your kids recognize the moment you say hello. The one you've had your entire life. Criminals are now stealing it, in real time, and using it to empty your bank account. This isn't a sci-fi plot. This is happening right now. In the UK. To people exactly like you. It Starts With a Phone Call That Seems Completely Harmless Someone calls. The
Michael Routhier
May 285 min read
Transcript: Episode 13 - Ghost Tapping: The Digital Pickpocket You Never See Coming - Full Episode Transcript
This episode is about a scam you'll never feel happening; until you check your bank account. Ghost tapping is real, it's growing, and summer festival season is prime time for it. Here's everything from the episode, in full. Hey, welcome back to the show. I hope you're having a great day today. So I want you to picture this. I want you to imagine that you're at the farmer's market this summer. You're browsing, enjoying the day, maybe picking up some fresh bread or a bouquet of
Michael Routhier
May 64 min read
How Scammers Hijack Your Phone Number and Empty Your Bank Account
That tiny chip is your phone number. Your bank verification codes. Your two-factor authentication. Your digital identity. And right now, scammers have figured out how to take it, without ever touching your phone. Let me ask you something. When was the last time you thought about your phone number as something that could be stolen? Not your phone. The number itself. The ten digits your bank uses to verify it's really you. The number your two-factor authentication texts go to.
Michael Routhier
May 48 min read
SMS Blasters: The Text Scam That Can Actually Kill You
I'm going to be honest with you today. I'm a little angry writing this one. Not frustrated. Not mildly concerned. Actually angry. Because what I'm about to describe isn't just another scam designed to steal your money or your identity. It's something that can get people killed. And the people doing it are smart enough to know that. Let's talk about SMS blasters. What Is an SMS Blaster? An SMS blaster is a portable device, in some cases, not much larger than a backpack, that e
Michael Routhier
Apr 296 min read
Transcript: Episode 10 - SMS Blasters: The Text Scam That Doesn't Just Steal From You, It Can Get People Killed
I'm going to be honest with you today, I'm a little angry talking about this one. Not frustrated, not mildly concerned, I'm actually angry. Because what I'm about to describe isn't just another scam designed to steal your money or your identity. It's something that can get people killed. And the people doing it are smart enough to know that. Let's talk about SMS blasters. An SMS blaster is a portable device. In some cases, it's not much larger than a backpack. And it mimics a
Michael Routhier
Apr 296 min read
Transcript: Episode 9 - How to Help Your Aging Parents Stay Safe Online - Without It Turning Into a Fight
Hey, welcome back to Tech 4 Grown-Ups. I'm Michael. Today, I want to talk about something a little different. Most of the time on this show, I'm talking directly to you, the person who wants to feel more confident, more safe, more in control of their digital life, and we're going to keep doing that. But today, I want to talk to the other half of this community. That's the adult children, the sons and daughters and grandchildren who are watching a parent or a grandparent navig
Michael Routhier
Apr 287 min read
How to Stop Spam Calls on iPhone and Android for Good
That expression. You know it. You've made it. The call you didn't ask for, from the number you don't recognize, saying something just urgent enough to make your heart rate tick up. We're going to make sure that stops. My phone rang last Tuesday at 9:15 in the morning. Unknown number. Toronto area code. I picked up and heard that unmistakable half-second pause before a recorded voice launched into something about my vehicle warranty expiring. Are you kidding me? If you're nodd
Michael Routhier
Apr 275 min read
How to Report a Scam or Fraud in Canada (2026 Complete Guide)
It's not a word anyone wants to spell. But knowing what to do next makes all the difference. One of our members reached out to me last week. She's 71, lives outside of Ottawa, sharp as a tack. Got a phone call from someone claiming to be from the CRA, Canada Revenue Agency, telling her she owed back taxes and would be arrested within the hour if she didn't pay immediately by gift card. She didn't fall for it. But she was shaken. And she asked me a question I hear all the time
Michael Routhier
Apr 226 min read
How to Teach Your Elderly Parents Internet Safety
Learning something new is always easier when someone patient is sitting right beside you. That's exactly what this community is here for. A man reached out to our community a few weeks ago, I'll call him Doug, because he was at his wit's end. His 78-year-old mother had nearly wired $4,000 to someone claiming to be her grandson in trouble overseas. She had almost done it. The only reason she didn't was because the bank teller got suspicious and slowed the transaction down lon
Michael Routhier
Apr 136 min read
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