Newsletter: Are Lyft drivers scamming riders?

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Hello fellow web crawlers! Andrew here. Welcome to today’s edition of web_crawlr. 

I promise I won’t make an April Fool’s joke. 

Here’s the latest trending internet culture stories today: A Lyft customer warning others about a robbery scam that seems to be happening more and more, why you should delete your 23andMe data if you’ve used the service, how a viral image of Pikachu’s arrest at a protest sparked numerous memes, and a new Dubai chocolate recipe that’s taking the internet by storm.  

After that, we’ve got a “One Good Thing” mini-column for you. And don’t forget to check out what the most popular story on the Daily Dot was yesterday in our “Hot on the Dot” section down below. 

See you tomorrow! 

— A.W. 

Today in Internet Culture

WTF
‘Now the drivers are scamming?’: Lyft customer says driver ‘robbed’ her. Then it happens to her roommate

A Lyft customer raised red flags after she said she was scammed by her driver. But it seems to be happening more and more. 

➤ READ MORE

PROTECT YOURSELF
‘The possibilities are terrifying’: 23andMe files for bankruptcy. Then an expert warns you should delete all your data

Now, the company is preparing for bankruptcy proceedings, which could include the sale of its assets. This has some internet users nervous—here’s why.

➤ READ MORE

VIRAL
Viral image of Pikachu’s arrest at Turkey protest becomes rallying cry—even though it’s AI

A protester in a giant, inflatable Pikachu costume is going viral—and sparking a flurry of AI-generated images—after being spotted fleeing police in Antalya, Turkey.

➤ READ MORE

FOOD
Dubai cookies, the baked cousin of the pistachio chocolate bar, are captivating TikTok

Remember the Dubai chocolate strawberry cup from our ‘Cooked’ column a few weeks ago? Well there’s another recipe going viral: Dubai cookies. 

➤ READ MORE

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Woman shares little-known trick for getting Netflix, Spotify without signing up for subscriptions

It’s hard to imagine life without Netflix and Spotify—but what if you could drastically cut down the expenses? 

Thanks to a handy trick by internet user Deidre (@ohhyoubudget), we now know a quick and easy way to do this that guarantees good results every time.

In the clip, which has amassed 1.1 million views, Deidre filmed herself walking into a store and picking up Netflix and Spotify gift cards.

“I refuse to pay monthly for Spotify or any streaming service for that matter,” she began. “It’s because it’s so much cheaper to pay yearly.”

She said this is something she does “every year.”

HOW MUCH DOES THIS HACK SAVE YOU?

Crawling the Web

Here is what else is happening across the ‘net.

An Amazon worker says all drivers have to wear this specific monitor at all times. Is it for increased safety and efficiency? Or is making sure they don’t sit down on the job? 

The last thing anyone wants to find on their car is a parking ticket and a parking violation sticker on their window. This driver is about to “crash out” explaining it all on this video.

Have you been shopping at T.J. Maxx wrong this whole time? 

A Target customer is putting the store on blast after she noticed she was charged more for shopping in-store.

Whenever you’re loading a dishwasher, the silverware basket is usually placed on the lower rack. But can it be placed somewhere else? Well, one man reveals what he believes is an “easier” place to put the silverware basket in the dishwasher, but not everyone is convinced. 

From the Daily Dot archive: Is there a First Amendment right to assemble in the metaverse?

Question of the Day

Everyone’s got opinions, and we want to know yours. Just click a button below to answer the question, and tomorrow we will let you know how fellow web crawlers like you answered. 

DO YOU LISTEN TO MUSIC ON SPOTIFY?

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Hot on the Dot

This was the most read story on the Daily Dot yesterday:

➤ ‘I didn’t fully understand what I was getting into’: Man buys new Tesla. Then he gets buyer’s remorse after driving it home