Tips offered for avoiding scams this holiday season Tuesday, October 17, 2023 As the winter holiday season approaches, consumer advocates and federal agencies are warning the public to be on the lookout for tell-tale signs of a scam.Mark Fetterhoff, program manager with AARP [ElderWatch Colorado](https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/elderwatch/), said because people are expecting packages at this time of year, scammers have found great success separating people from their hard-earned money by posing as delivery officials.”Text messages reporting to be from the U.S.Postal Service or FedEx or UPS,” Fetterhoff explained.”Notifications that something is either wrong with the package or you need to click on a link to get more information about the package.” One way to ensure delivery is to send tracking information and expected arrival dates to recipients, even if it might spoil the surprise.If you are contacted, Fetterhoff said do not click links in texts or email.Call the company where you placed the order and ask if there are any problems.
To help keep others from falling victim, Fetterhoff encourages people to report incidents by calling the ElderWatch Help Line at (800) 222-4444.
In the first half of 2023, more than one million Americans lost four-point-four billion dollars to scammers, according to Federal Trade Commission data.Sophia Siddiqui, an attorney with the Federal Trade Commission Division of Marketing Practices said in a [news briefing](https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/consumer-sentinel-network) to Ethnic Media Services that scammers want you to pay using methods similar to cash, which are hard to trace and make it nearly impossible to get your money back.
“Nobody legitimate will demand that you have to pay with gift cards, crypto currency or a wire transfer.And if someone you don’t know asks you to pay with one of these methods, it’s likely a scam,” she explained.Social media has become the go-to platform for scammers to reach consumers, which resulted in spoils of $658 million during the first six months of this year.Scams via telephone saw the largest median per-person loss at $1,400.Bank transfers accounted for $901 million lost, by far the largest cash pipeline for scammers.[click here.](/dn1.php) [get more stories like this via email](/dn2.php) Environment A vibrant installation at today’s SHINE St.
Petersburg Mural Festival is designed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act … Environment Wednesday is National Bioenergy Day, which raises awareness about local renewable wood energy markets that convert waste wood into energy.66 … Social Issues The early voting period for the November municipal elections in North Carolina will begin on Thursday and run until Nov.
4.The League of Women … [](/2023-10-17/domestic-violence-sexual-assault/advocacy-groups-push-il-lawmakers-to-pass-domestic-violence-firearms-bill/a86775-1) Health and Wellness Domestic violence and gun violence prevention advocates are urging the Illinois General Assembly to pass a bill to strengthen state laws protecting pe… Alabama Possible is working to make higher education more accessible for students in the state.Through its annual campaign, “Alabama Goes to College,… [](/2023-10-17/civic-engagement-and-voting/amid-multiple-lawsuits-texas-redistricting-gets-d-from-elections-watchdog/a86762-1) Social Issues A Texas math professor who studies redistricting is not surprised a nonpartisan elections watchdog group has given the state’s redistricting process a… Health and Wellness Ohio community advocates are evaluating how funds from the OneOhio plan should be used.The OneOhio plan uses the $2 billion awarded to the state … Social Issues Gun deaths among children nationwide have increased by 87% over the past decade, while injuries and deaths from car accidents have decreased by ….