Author Archives: virginiasmp

If there were an electricity that powers the fraud industry, it would be information. Without names, email addresses, Social Security numbers, passwords, credit card info or other personal data, a scammer cannot reach you or pretend to be you.  (Read More)

Selling stuff online can be a great way to make some extra cash. Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and other sites attract a lot of buyers — and scammers. Here are some ways scammers try to cheat you and what to do about it. (Read More)

College students must spend money on tuition payments and school supplies as they prepare for the new year. However, scammers are taking this opportunity to try to steal some of that money through various schemes and scams.  One tactic that has been used to get students’ personal information is a phishing email that claims toContinue reading “6 Scams for College Students to Avoid”

Scammers have been calling, pretending to be people from the FTC. While the names they use might be real, they’re actually scammers — some of them hoping to trick you into thinking they’re an FTC Commissioner. But they’re not. Whether the caller promises you a prize or threatens you with arrest — and even ifContinue reading “FTC Commissioners Aren’t Calling You — Really”

It’s known as “smishing” — the colloquial term for texting people while purporting to be legitimate but only seeking money or sensitive data, or to wreak havoc with a computer device. The term marries “short message service,” or SMS, and phishing. Phishing, sort of a cousin of smishing, involves the same tactics using emails. (Read More)

When coping with a disaster like flooding, wildfires, tornadoes and other weather events, victims find themselves at a loss for where to begin when rebuilding and replacing belongings. Replacing vital documents like birth certificates, drivers’ licenses, Social Security Cards, etc., is another task that can seem daunting. Better Business Bureau warns victims to beware of unsolicited offersContinue reading “Beware of Post-Disaster Document Replacement Scams”

Digital acceleration has transformed the way consumers spend and has had a major impact on how credit unions engage with their members. Digital is also serving as the primary catalyst for an evolving payments fraud landscape.  The major fraud trends we’re watching in 2022 started out as predictions, but they are rapidly becoming reality inContinue reading “TOP 5 FRAUD TRENDS FOR 2022”

Thursday, October 13, 8:30am-1pm. Learn about current scams, financial trends, self defense and health info!

There’s a shortage of nursing home beds for the elderly in America due to a severe staffing crisis that has caused long-term care facilities to cut back on new admissions, new research shows. Three out of five nursing homes (61%) have limited new admissions due to staffing shortages, according to a survey conducted by the American HealthContinue reading “Staffing Shortages Have U.S. Nursing Homes in Crisis”

Congress should crack down on Medicare Advantage health plans for seniors that sometimes deny patients vital medical care while overcharging the government billions of dollars every year, government watchdogs told a House panel Tuesday. (Read More)