Scammers and fraudsters are always lurking around, and they’re especially adept at taking the latest happenings and pouncing. It’s not a surprise then that fake and unauthorized at-home testing kits are popping up online as scammers take advantage of the increase in demand. Read more →

Covid-19 certainly is having an impact on this holiday season: flights canceled, schools closed, and vacation plans changed. And, supply chain issues continuing. With the omicron variant so prevalent, people need to keep being careful. Wear a mask inside and social distance when you can. Read more →

Many of things you may buy for the holidays, such as toys, laptops, and phones, have chips in them. Since there’s a global chip shortage, prices are going up, and items with chips will probably be harder to find. Scammers are taking advantage of these shortages and are trying to sell items in short supply. Read more →

Every year, June 15 is recognized as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The purpose of Elder Abuse Day is to raise awareness to the abuse and neglect experienced by elderly people around the world through cultural, social, economic, and demographic processes. Read more →

The FTC, along with law enforcement agencies from six states, sued Internet service provider Frontier Communications, alleging that the company didn’t provide many consumers with Internet service at the speeds it promised them, and charged many of them for more expensive and higher-speed service.  Read more →

For three years, people have reported losing more money on romance scams than on any other fraud type identified in Sentinel, a fraud database. In 2020, reported losses to romance scams reached a record $304 million, up about 50 percent from 2019. Read more →

Verizon is recalling about 2.5 million Ellipsis Jetpack mobile hotspots. The lithium ion battery in the hotspots can overheat, posing fire and burn hazards. Verizon has received 15 reports of overheating, including six reports of fire damage to bedding or flooring and two reports of minor burn injuries. Read more →

Consumer Reports is launching CR Recommended, a program to bring Consumer Reports recommendations easily to consumers before they buy autos and other products. When consumers shop online, at a dealership, or in a store, they’ll see a “CR Recommended” mark for products. Read more →

This week, I wrote the 100th issue of my newsletter Helpful Money Tips for You. To celebrate, instead of offering my usual 10 tips, I offered 100. To sign up to get my free newsletter, go to http://eepurl.com/gkZ6JH. You'll get it in your email. Read more →

It isn’t over yet, so keep wearing masks and social distancing. It’s worrisome that people are rushing to go to activities again. While it’s exciting that millions of people are being vaccinated, kids are back in school, and the cases and deaths from coronavirus went down and are now plateauing, this is far from over. Read more →