Navigating the murky waters of modern dating as a single woman for the past ten years has exposed me to a myriad of cheating tactics. I’ve learned that nothing seems to draw the attention of men in relationships quite like the allure of someone unattached.

Yet, just when I thought I’d encountered every possible infidelity scheme, I was surprised by a new, cunning approach from a married male acquaintance who reached out through Instagram’s direct messages. This interaction made me realize the lengths to which some individuals will go to conceal their indiscretions.

This now ex-friend used a particularly sly method: he typed an inappropriate message into his iPhone’s Notes app, took a screenshot, and sent it as a disappearing photo message on Instagram. The message vanished immediately after I opened it, leaving no trace behind.

This incident reminded me of another clever revelation shared by a friend. She discovered her partner’s secret OnlyFans usage by attempting to create an account with his email. Upon doing so, a notification confirmed that the email was already linked to an existing account, exposing his hidden activity.

It reminded me of the time a friend shared the five-second trick she used to uncover her partner’s OnlyFans habit. She went to the site’s sign-up page, tried to create an account using his email and a message popped up saying an account was already linked to it.

While technology makes infidelity easier than ever to hide, if you know where to look, it can be surprisingly easy to catch someone out. So I’ve been investigating the sneaky digital tricks cheaters are using to get away with it. Wives, beware…

While technology makes infidelity easier than ever to hide, if you know where to look, it can be surprisingly easy to catch someone out

As a single woman who has spent the past decade wading through the swamp of modern dating, I thought I’d seen every cheating trick in the book, writes Jana Hocking

Notes app

With Apple’s shared Notes feature, which lets two people collaborate in real time, messages can be typed, deleted and rewritten almost instantly, leaving very little evidence behind

Yes, that boring old app where you’ve been keeping your shopping lists, WiFi passwords and holiday packing reminders. It’s now where some people are conducting entire affairs.

The trick works through Apple’s shared Notes feature, which lets two people collaborate on the same note in real time. Messages can be typed, deleted and rewritten almost instantly, leaving very little evidence behind.

And because it’s tucked away inside such a boring, everyday app, most partners would never even think to check it.

If the number of ‘shopping lists’ he’s writing when you look over his shoulder seems excessive, you should be suspicious.

Signal

Signal notifications can be hidden, the app can be locked with Face ID and users can communicate via usernames rather than visible phone numbers

The encrypted messaging app Signal is widely used by journalists and politicians thanks to its intense security features. Which is why it’s now become so appealing for discreet conversations.

He can explain it away by saying he needs it for work – and there’ll be no evidence to contradict him.

Messages can disappear automatically after a set amount of time. Notifications can be hidden. The app can be locked with Face ID. And users can communicate via usernames rather than visible phone numbers.

Telegram

Telegram includes a feature called ‘Secret Chat’, where messages self-destruct after being read. And thanks to its use of cloud storage, you can access it on multiple devices

Telegram’s popularity among ‘tech bros’ comes thanks to its advanced security features and its use of cloud storage, meaning you can access your messages on multiple devices.

Thing is, this makes the encrypted messaging app popular among cheaters too.

The app includes a feature literally called ‘Secret Chat’, where conversations can self-destruct after being read.

Calculator

Apps such as Calculator+ and Calculator Pro+ look completely normal, but type in the correct PIN and a secret storage folder opens. It’s mostly where cheaters keep saucy videos

It’s like something out of a Bond film. There are apps that look like calculators, but secretly function as hidden vaults for photos, videos, messages and private files.

It’s mostly where cheaters keep the saucy videos they send each other. Apps such as Calculator+ and Calculator Pro+ look completely normal, but type in the correct PIN and a secret storage folder opens.

Most phones have built-in calculator apps, so look out if he has multiple installed on his device. And remember, nobody seriously needs to be doing sums 15 times a day.

WhatsApp

If you see him tapping through different folders on WhatsApp, or typing a passcode to access a certain chat, ask yourself why

Most of us use WhatsApp for group chats and messaging – which makes its more discreet features easy to overlook.

There are disappearing messages, where chats automatically erase themselves after a set amount of time. Entire conversations can quietly vanish without anybody needing to manually delete them. Then there’s the archive feature, which allows users to hide specific chats in a hidden folder, separate from their main inbox.

And perhaps the sneakiest feature of all is the hidden message preview. Notifications can be adjusted so a message arrives without revealing its contents on the lock screen. Meaning a suspicious late-night text simply appears as: ‘1 new message’.

Look out if some messages flash up their contents while others remain hidden. And if you see him tapping through different folders, or typing a passcode to access a certain chat, ask yourself why.

In a significant crackdown on prostitution-related activities in Portland, Oregon, police revealed on Thursday that they recovered at least six underage girls in a comprehensive operation last month.

The Portland Police Human Trafficking Unit (HTU), alongside the East Precinct, spearheaded this initiative beginning April 15. The girls, ranging in age from 13 to 17, were rescued as a result of these targeted efforts.

For years, Southeast Portland’s 82nd Avenue corridor has been notoriously afflicted by sex trafficking and prostitution. However, last month’s operation brought to light what authorities described as “a stunning number” of young victims, far surpassing typical expectations.

Officials remarked, “While HTU members often rescue individuals from traffickers, encountering so many children within such a brief period is unusual. It remains uncertain whether this surge is the start of a new trend or merely an outlier.”

Portland Police officers were captured attending a crime scene on June 25, 2021. (Portland Police Bureau)

The girls were connected with advocacy services through Portland Police Bureau (PPB) Victim Services, as well as Safety Compass, which provides support for people under 25 who identify as survivors of commercial sexual exploitation and human trafficking. 

The Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) is also helping facilitate reunification with out-of-state parents or arranging placement into care.  

Empty streets are seen in downtown Portland, Oregon, on April 22, 2020. (Moriah Ratner/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Authorities said human trafficking cases often involve victims who may be reluctant to report crimes or move forward through the criminal justice system due to factors such as trauma bonds, repeated exposure to abuse and fear of retaliation.

To help survivors recover, the HTU said it uses a victim-centered, trauma-informed approach when working with victims.

A Portland Police vehicle is parked near a recreational area. (Portland Police Department)

Investigators are continuing to build cases against the alleged traffickers and sex buyers and have not released any names.

Police added that it considers identifying and protecting trafficking victims a top priority, emphasizing proactive investigations and close coordination with partners such as the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office (MCDA) to hold offenders accountable.

A couple from South Carolina, separated by 34 years in age, has ignited debate by revealing their “relationship non-negotiables.” Their guidelines have raised eyebrows, with critics labeling them as overly “strict” and questioning the longevity of such a partnership.

In a video that has quickly gained attention, 26-year-old Gracen Greagen and her 60-year-old husband, Kevin Greagan, introduce themselves from their lakeside home in Greenville, SC. They begin by stating, “I’m 26, and I’m 60, and these are non-negotiables in our age-gap relationship.”

The couple’s foremost rule is maintaining a daily prayer ritual.

“One practice we’ve committed to in our marriage is praying together every night. It’s our final act of the day,” they shared.

They emphasized that, “Regardless of your faith, the intentional effort to show gratitude is a powerful way to connect with each other and find personal balance.”

Their second rule is that they don’t drink unless they’re with each other.

“There’s a vulnerability in drinking and being intoxicated, and that’s not something I wanna be without my partner present,” the 60-year-old said.

He added, “This was a decision we each made individually. We didn’t impose it on one another … Rather than looking at [it] as limiting or controlling, we look at it as uniquely special and uniquely committed to one another.”

He also noted that, “You can’t have two or three or four or five drinks unless you have one drink. And I just choose not to do that when I’m out alone.”

Rule three is that they serve each other even through conflict.

“It’s easy to serve somebody when it’s [hot] and sunny, but when a thunderstorm rolls through … it becomes a little more difficult,” Kevin said.

“The disagreement can stand on its own … it’s not going to affect our kindness and courtesy toward one another.

“If you get a head massage from somebody that’s pissed off at you, you know you’re loved.”

And the last one is not keeping score.

“[My father] said that a lot of couples, their goal is to each give 50 per cent … he said that’s a terrible goal in a marriage. It should be 100 per cent each,” the 26-year-old said.

“You both give your all, and that’s how you can make it work,” Kevin added.

“The worst thing a person can do is keep a list, or even take notes on their phone of the ways they’ve been slighted – don’t do that. Don’t keep it in your heart or mind, release it.”

In the comments, people took issue with the “strict” rules, specifically the alcohol one.

“If you don’t ‘allow’ one another to consume alcohol without your significant other, this only proves your lack of self-control. Whether the lack of self-control stems from an internal source or external, this only proves irresponsibility,” one said.

Someone else said the rules felt “forced” rather than “organic.”

Relationship expert Beck Thompson told news.com.au that she doesn’t see anything inherently wrong with the couple’s rules.

“Praying together, not keeping score, showing up with kindness even when you’re in conflict – these are things I encourage in my own clients,” the head coach at the Relationship Circle said.

“The issue isn’t the rules themselves, it’s the language around them. The moment you call something a ‘non-negotiable rule’ in a relationship, it shifts the tone from connection to compliance. Healthy couples tend to arrive at these things naturally, not announce them like a contract.”

The relationship coach also noted the alcohol non-negotiable was slightly concerning.

“On the surface, choosing not to drink alone sounds like a boundaries conversation. But when you’re pre-emptively defending it to the internet before anyone’s even asked, that’s worth paying attention to,” she said.

“Defensiveness is usually a signal that, on some level, you already know something looks off.”

There were also many comments on the video about their age-gap relationship.

“This is how bad I want a lake house,” someone wrote.

Others implied the woman was a gold digger.

“I also hate working,” one quipped.

“Excited that my wife could be born in three years,” someone else teased.

“The internet is going to pile on any age-gap relationship, and a lot of that reaction is kneejerk,” Thompson says.

“A 34-year age gap isn’t automatically a problem. Adults get to choose who they love.”

The couple has also clapped back at the critics, saying they’re okay that “not everyone understands” their relationship.

They also insist that none of the rules are about “restriction” or “control.”

“People hear rules and they think control, but we hear clarity and alignment,” she said.

“It’s not for everyone, but it works for us. So you do you, and we’ll do us.”

For nearly 200 years, a town in New England played a pivotal role in producing the tools that helped shape America.

Now, New Britain, Connecticut, often referred to as ‘Hardware City,’ is facing the closure of the last Stanley Black & Decker facility still operational in its original home.

The iconic tool manufacturer plans to shut down its Myrtle Street factory on May 18, resulting in the loss of roughly 300 jobs, with over 200 of those being union positions. This decision has sparked outrage among workers and local officials alike.

This closure represents a bittersweet conclusion to a storied manufacturing history that commenced in New Britain back in 1843, when Frederick Trent Stanley established what would evolve into The Stanley Works.

At its zenith, Stanley employed thousands in the city, establishing New Britain as a renowned factory hub in America. However, by the end of this month, the company’s corporate headquarters will be the only significant Stanley entity remaining in the city of its origin.

Stanley claimed the products made at the plant – single-sided tape measures – are obsolete due to buyers demanding double-sided tape measures that are ‘more efficient.’

Stanley chose not to upgrade the New Britain plant to produce double-sided tape measures because it already has a factory in Thailand that makes them – and labor costs there are approximately 75 percent lower than in the US.

New Britain mayor Bobby Sanchez said he was ‘deeply disappointed’ by the decision. 

Stanley Black & Decker was founded in New Britain, Connecticut, in 1843 as the Stanley Works, and it rapidly became the heart of the city’s economy. A historic postcard shows a view of New Britain’s Stanley Works in 1919

Stanley’s New Britain plant was tooled to produce single-sided tape measures (left), which the company said are less popular than double-sided tape measures (right)

‘For generations, Stanley Works has been part of the fabric of our city, providing good-paying jobs, supporting families and helping New Britain’s proud reputation,’ he told NBC Connecticut.

Stanley merged with Black & Decker in 2010, to form Stanley Black & Decker, but kept its headquarters in New Britain.

The Trump administration’s tariff policies hit Stanley hard – it moved manufacturing out of China and increased prices due to the tariffs.

In 2025, the company saw revenue contract slightly, although its profitability rose thanks to higher prices and cost reduction efforts.

The factory in Thailand helped with those cost reductions, although it started making tape measures in the 1990s for the US market.

Six years ago, Stanley began making double-sided tape measures at the plant, to meet rising demand in overseas markets.

‘It’s not necessarily an indictment of manufacturing in the state of Connecticut,’ said Paul Lavoie, vice president of innovation and applied technology at the University of New Haven and the state’s former chief manufacturing officer.

Lavoie told NBC Connecticut that the state’s manufacturing base is focused on high-value products like submarines, jet engines and advanced technology – rather than commodity tool products.

Not very long ago, Stanley Black & Decker factories lined New Britain’s streets and cranked out millions of hand tools, earning the city the nickname ‘Hardware City’

The company claimed the products made at the plant – single-sided tape measures – are obsolete due to buyers demanding double-sided tape measures

Despite the losses, New Britain still has a decent manufacturing base, accounting for around 15 percent of the city’s jobs.

Smaller companies make everything from airplane parts to shotguns – Sanchez said that submarine builder General Dynamics Electric Boat is hiring around 8,000 new workers in the area.

The plant closure will lead to approximately 300 job losses, including more than 200 union jobs.

Union representative Jeff Santini, of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, told the Wall Street Journal that most of the union workers did not buy Stanley’s explanation.

‘They just figured [Stanley] didn’t want to invest in the membership and themselves here in Connecticut,’ he told the WSJ.

This is only the latest US plant Stanley has closed recently: It shut two factories in Texas and South Carolina in 2023, and a North Carolina facility in 2024 – all before the Trump tariffs arrived.