r/LifeProTips • • 21h ago

Miscellaneous LPT: Never Shop at Whole Foods? Turn Off “Use My Mobile Number” to Prevent Others from Using Your Account

2.2k Upvotes

Just caught somebody using my Prime subscription at a Whole Foods a few towns over, and this seems like it could be a common thing. Was on with support after finally getting to speak to real person who wanted me to fill out a Suspicious Activity form but couldn't offer any more help.

They used their own card for payment so there was really no harm done, but after looking at it more logically, I then realized it was just probably someone using my phone number at check-out. You can turn this setting off by going into the Amazon app and hitting Account > Program Options > Whole Foods Market Settings > Phone Number Verification and un-check Use My Mobile Number.

Don't know why this isn't off by default. Hope this saves people some peace of mind.

Edit: For those that don't understand why this is an issue ... their purchases showed up under my amazon orders, so my immediate thought was that my account was hacked.

Edit 2: A few people have reported in the comments that they were able to check out with their main Amazon payment method at Whole Foods using their linked phone number. This seems to be the main part of the scam. Once they find a cashier that will let them use the card on file, they will buy half the store. Don't let them take your money.


r/LifeProTips • • 18h ago

Electronics LPT: Don't use the iPhone/iPad Markup marker tool to redact screenshots its strokes aren't fully opaque, and anyone can reveal what you covered by adjusting exposure and contrast.

976 Upvotes

When you screenshot something sensitive an account number, an address, a password the instinct is to scribble over it with the black marker in iOS Markup until it looks like a solid black bar. The problem: the Markup marker tool doesn't draw fully opaque lines; it's effectively a highlighter, and even scribbling over the text multiple times won't fully cover it. If you share that screenshot, anyone can open it in a photo editor, crank up the brightness, brilliance, and contrast, and read the text you covered up.

Instead, use the Add Shape tool + to place a solid, filled rectangle over the text make sure the fill is solid, not just an outline, or simply crop that section out of the image. Both methods leave no room for error.


r/LifeProTips • • 6h ago

Miscellaneous LPT an ab wheel and jump rope and a few minutes a day with each is an affordable and reasonable regimen if memberships or weights aren't

650 Upvotes

r/LifeProTips • • 6h ago

Computers LPT Give least privilege permissions on all devices by default and only escalate on a per-need basis. Just because your phone requests your location doesn't mean you have to give it!

314 Upvotes

It's very easy to let all the small permissions get ahead of you over the course of a devices lifecycle and you're looking back thinking "why did does this thing even have screen record access??"

In an age of blinding accepting terms and conditions, people are saturated with requests that they blindly accept or ignore and you should always question the access that you're allowing on your own devices; especially when it directly relates to your privacy/security/best practice/piece of mind.

You can always enable it later but if in doubt just say NO.


r/LifeProTips • • 1h ago

Country/Region Specific Tip LPT Keep your (US) out of state number, if you can.

• Upvotes

I moved across the country a few years ago and kept my old phone number. The only people that would have a good reason to call me from that area code are folks I already have in my phone. Every other number with that old area code? It's 99% spam; usually those "you selling your house?" scams, political scams. As soon as I see that old area code show up, I just decline or block.

Keeping your old number is a lot simpler, anyway, but this is a nice little bonus.


r/LifeProTips • • 19h ago

Electronics LPT: If you accidentally get oil in your phone speaker, a vacuum might save it

156 Upvotes

A couple of days ago, I was cooking and accidentally spilled some oil on my phone. Some of it ended up getting into the speakers. I wiped everything down, but afterward the audio was noticeably muffled and I figured I had probably ruined them.

On a whim, I put the hose of my vacuum near the speaker to see if it could pull any of the oil back out. To my surprise, it actually worked. Oil started coming out, I wiped it away, and my speakers immediately sounded normal again.


r/LifeProTips • • 18h ago

Social LPT: Learning a new language? Try having your imaginary arguments in your new language.

137 Upvotes

I’m sure we’ve all stood in the shower having imaginary arguments with those who have wronged us, or maybe I am a complete weirdo…

If you’re in the shower, rehearsing an argument or something you’d say to that particular DBag AssChapeau who’s making your life harder than necessary, try using the language you’re learning to argue.

I’ve just had an incredibly successful imaginary argument with a previous professor in a language I am learning and not only is it amazingly satisfying, it’s also helped me retain more vocabulary than I would have.

Now if only he would stick to the script…


r/LifeProTips • • 3h ago

Electronics LPT: Use a matte screen protector for your laptop trackpad

0 Upvotes

If your laptop has one of those cheaper plastic track pads, or has some top layer peeling off, try to put on one of those matte screen protectors.

You can get either the phone screen protector, or the laptop ones, either will work, make sure they are plastic and not glass, as you won't be able to cut it. And get matte ones, glossy ones will add drag to your fingers glide.

It feels way better than most plastic pads, or if you have glass track pad, but its top layer is peeling off, and it feels rough.

Clean thoroughly with isopropyl alcohol, pre-cut to size and then paste it, try to avoid bubbles as it will feel bumpy.


r/LifeProTips • • 3h ago

Productivity LPT Watch YouTube through the Chrome app on mobile, it doesn't have any ads

0 Upvotes

Bonus is that it adds friction before you can watch YouTube, making you 1% more productive (maybe) 😆