Issue 11: Alaska Roots, New Coinbase Scams, and a Digital Dressing Room Fix for the Future of Fashion
From the Last Frontier to a Massive Coinbase Fail—This Week's Techish is The Most Personal Yet
Hey Friends!
It’s here! Another Friday, another jam-packed Techish newsletter. But this time? I finally get to blast the news I’ve been dying to spill.
Squeeeee! Pinch that big-haired, big-dreaming Kenai High (class of '89) grad who dared to aspire for a career in broadcast journalism. Next month, just in time for the Summer Solstice, I’m heading back to Alaska—with the Today Show!
I can’t wait to introduce my Alaska family to my Today Show family, returning to the place where I grew up—and where most of my family still lives—the land of snow-capped peaks, mosquito militias, and WiFi that comes and goes like the midnight sun.
My childhood memories run deep in the land of the midnight sun. And now, after all the years and all the miles, I get to help bring a national spotlight to the beauty, resilience, and raw magic of the place that taught me to believe—truly believe—that anything’s possible.
(Okay, so my actual segment is only a few minutes long about awesome ‘Made in Alaska’ products, but it still counts—dang!)
Cue the tears (and maybe a bear or two). Stay tuned for the details at Techish.com and on all my social media platforms.
Before I get to the big story that’s keeping me up at night, I have to ask, what could you do for 359 miles — 27-36 hours — straight?
Stay awake? Watch every episode of Succession, The Bear, and Ted Lasso—twice? Binge on Peanut M&Ms while power-scrolling across the country?
Our Techish teammate Scott Baldwin, who just happens to be the Founder and CEO of Front Pack Sports, is doing something way more hardcore. He’s about to bike 359 miles of gravel, solo, in the rain. It’s an ultra-endurance race across unpredictable terrain—with one goal: cross the finish line by 3 AM Sunday.
That’s like riding from New York City to Pittsburgh on nothing but grit, guts, and granola. He’s dodging rocks, mud, saddle sores, and (we assume) the overwhelming urge to nap inside a gas station.
Good thing we trained him up well for a grueling test of endurance at CES this past January! 🤣😳
Watch his Unbound Gravel journey here and let’s send him all the good vibes, a truckload of snacks, potentially a new set of knees, and maybe a Peloton brand deal for the sequel.
And now, for the story that’s consuming my every waking moment right now:
🧨HEADLINE: The Crypto Crime No One’s Stopping
Over the past few weeks, I’ve spoken with dozens of victims of a sophisticated, heart-wrenching scam tied to leaked internal data from Coinbase, the largest crypto exchange in the U.S. They each tell nearly identical stories of loss, heartbreak, and getting ghosted by the company that promises to be “the most trusted place for people and businesses to buy, sell, and use crypto …” Just seeing that statement now makes many of feel physically sick. And that recently added banner across the top of the homepage warning about social-engineering scams? Far too little, too late, for a multi-billion dollar company that could have — should have — done something sooner.
Coinbase now says it’s reimbursing some victims—but only those who were “tricked into sending funds” via social engineering. What does that really mean? Victims say it’s unclear. People like FK and DR say the scammers drained their Coinbase Wallets without consent, using backend access they never authorized.
They created their wallets. They protected their seed phrases. But it didn’t matter.
They’re asking: Why didn’t Coinbase warn anyone sooner? Where were the in-app alerts? The full-page ads? Why revise the Terms of Service during the fallout? Was it an effort to limit class action lawsuits?
Oh, and Coinbase recently made the Fortune 500 list. Cool timing.
Just weeks ago, the U.S. Department of Justice dismantled its National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team—the very task force created to fight scams like this.
Experts warn we’re now in a Wild West moment, as crypto scams grow smarter, faster, and harder to trace. Meanwhile, victims feel abandoned.
🕵️♀️ How These Scams Actually Work
Here’s how the scam plays out:
You get a real-looking call, email, or in-app message from someone claiming to be from Coinbase or another exchange.
They say your account’s under attack—and instruct you to “secure” your funds by moving them to your Coinbase Wallet and then to other accounts from there.
The links look legit. They’re from spoofed Coinbase URL’s. The person sounds real. In some cases, they spoof Coinbase’s own phone tree.
Then your crypto disappears—instantly transferred to a scammer-controlled account, often routed through crypto mixers or offshored sites like Roobet.
This wasn't some sketchy phishing email. It was a coordinated attack, fueled by information that should have been protected: names, IDs, transaction histories, phone numbers, and even internal system access. Some victims told me the scammers had access to their Coinbase Wallets—wallets they never shared login or seed phrase information for.
That’s not phishing. That’s an inside job.
👀 What Happened Behind the Scenes
Coinbase had outsourced customer support to TaskUs, a third-party vendor. Investigators say criminals bribed TaskUs agents into leaking sensitive internal data and documentation. That intel went straight to cybercriminals who used it to build shockingly convincing scams.
And here's the kicker: Coinbase knew about this as early as February 2025. One investigator told me they were aware of it in December of last year and made the FBI aware of it then too.
But no one issued a warning. No full-page ads. No in-app alerts. No mass notifications urging customers to be cautious. No YouTube video or engagement with influencers to get the important word out.
Instead, they updated their terms of service—quietly—limiting customers’ rights to participate in class-action lawsuits.
All while people lost their life savings.
💔 This Isn’t Just Tech. It’s Trauma.
People often stereotype crypto investors as reckless, young, or greedy. But the people I’ve interviewed are teachers, engineers, parents—incredibly savvy and paying attention to the warnings. This was supposed to be this generation’s Apple stock. They were saving to buy homes. For their kids. For retirement.
DR’s been investing since he was 13. At 32, the $100,000 he lost was everything—the downpayment for a house, help to pay for his wedding next month, and even support for his wife-to-be’s medical issues. Nearly 20-years of saving and scraping — gone in two hours. Another person told me he hasn’t slept more than four hours a night since losing everything. And yet another victim, a 23-year-old, livestreamed his suicide after a devastating crypto loss this year. Yes, this is real—and the human toll is mounting.
💣 And While That Was Happening…
In April, the U.S. Department of Justice dismantled its National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team—the very task force designed to protect Americans from crypto crimes like this one.
They say they’ll still prosecute crime involving digital assets. But without dedicated resources, experts fear we’re entering a Wild West moment—just as the scams get smarter, deeper, and harder to trace.
✅ What You Can Do Now
If you’ve been impacted:
Join a class action: Milberg is taking on cases.
Talk to a tax professional: While most crypto thefts aren’t tax-deductible under current law, there may be options, especially if the assets were investment-based. Some FTX and Madoff victims were able to recover funds or write off losses. Timing and documentation matter.
Contact a victim-advocacy group like Operation Shamrock
To protect yourself going forward:
Use app-based or hardware 2FA (not SMS)
Never move funds based on a call or email, no matter how legit it sounds
Set withdrawal allowlists on your exchange
Move long-term assets to a hardware wallet like Ledger or Trezor
Don’t download remote access apps unless you’re 100% sure who you're dealing with
🛑📣How to Demand Accountability
It’s easy to feel powerless in the face of big tech and even bigger crypto companies—but you’re not. Consumers can demand accountability:
Ask companies to publish transparent incident timelines and full lists of affected accounts
Demand public updates, not vague blog posts buried on support pages
Contact your representatives and urge investigations and regulatory oversight
Share your story—public pressure works
Also worth noting: One victim I spoke with lost $20,000 through a scam inside the Sui Wallet ecosystem—another so-called trusted crypto platform. These attacks aren’t isolated, and the ripple effects go far beyond Coinbase.
Try This: GlanceAI
AI is coming for your closet.
GlanceAI is a new app that replaces endless shopping scrolls with personalized style suggestions tailored to you. Upload a selfie, and it generates shoppable outfit ideas matched to your body, skin tone, and vibe. No more wondering if that dress will work IRL.
We’re testing it this week—stay tuned for our hands-on review and whether it really gets us out of our fashion funks.
Final Thought: This Could Happen to Anyone
Crypto isn’t just about speculation anymore. It’s part of real life. Real investments. Real identities. And when companies fail to protect people—and then rewrite the rules to avoid responsibility—it’s our job to speak up.
That’s why I’m reporting this. That’s why I’m heading back to Alaska. And that’s why Techish exists in the first place.
Until next time—stay safe, stay sharp, and check those wallets.
xo,
Jenn
Techish.com
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📩 Questions? Tech troubles? Gadget gossip? DM me or find me @JennJolly on Instagram.
A much needed, insightful post. Nice work!