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Impostor Scams Skyrocket Among Older Adults, FTC Warns: What To Do Impostor Scams Skyrocket Among Older Adults, FTC Warns: What To Do
Impostor Scams Skyrocket Among Older Adults, FTC Warns: What To Do Scams targeting older Americans are surging, causing victims to lose millions of dollars to scammers posing as government officials or trusted companies. The number of victims age 60 and older who lost more than $100,000 has increased by more than 700%, the Federal Trade Commission said on Thursday, Aug. 7. Those high-value thefts jumped from $55 million in 2020 to $445 million in 2024. Older adults who lost at least $10,000 also dramatically rose by more than 300%. "While younger consumers also have reported these scams, older adults were much more likely to report these ex…

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by Chris Spiker
Politics
Trump’s Standing Tanks With This Voter Group Amid Growing Backlash Trump’s Standing Tanks With This Voter Group Amid Growing Backlash
Trump’s Standing Tanks With This Voter Group Amid Growing Backlash Donald Trump is losing ground with a key voting group, according to a new national tracking poll.  The survey shows sharp declines in his favorability, job approval, and economic ratings among Hispanic and Latino voters. While overall ratings were already low, the second-quarter survey conducted by Global Strategy Group for Somos Votantes shows a deeper erosion in key subgroups: independents, women, and voters under 45. Pollsters attribute the shift to continued economic pessimism, a growing belief that Trump is out of step with everyday priorities, and intensifying opposition to his …

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by Joe Lombardi
Politics
Here's Percentage Of Americans Who Approve Of Trump's Handling Of Economy: New Poll Here's Percentage Of Americans Who Approve Of Trump's Handling Of Economy: New Poll
Here's Percentage Of Americans Who Approve Of Trump's Handling Of Economy: New Poll A new poll finds what Americans think about how President Donald Trump is managing the economy as he nears the 100-day mark of his second non-consecutive term. Just 37 percent of respondents said they support Trump’s approach to economic issues, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday, April 23.  That marks a sharp drop from the 42 percent approval rating measured shortly after his Monday, Jan. 20 inauguration, and the lowest economic approval level Trump has recorded in either term. The survey highlights growing unease over Trump’s aggressive economic strategy, which …

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by Joe Lombardi
News
Going Broke Scarier Than Death For Many Americans, New Study Says: Here's Why Going Broke Scarier Than Death For Many Americans, New Study Says: Here's Why
Going Broke Scarier Than Death For Many Americans, New Study Says: Here's Why Nearly two in three Americans worry more about running out of money than dying, according to a new survey. Allianz Life released its 2025 Annual Retirement Study on Tuesday, April 22. The life insurance provider found that 64% of US adults fear going broke more than death. That fear cuts across generations but is most common among Gen Xers in their 40s and 50s, with 70% saying they worry about outliving their savings. Millennials followed at 66%, while 61% of baby boomers said they share the same concern. The biggest financial concerns were inflation, taxes, and Social Security. "Wit…

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by Chris Spiker
Politics
PHOTOS: 1,400 'Hands Off' Protests Across United States PHOTOS: 1,400 'Hands Off' Protests Across United States
Photos: 1,400 'Hands Off' Protests Across United States Thousands of demonstrators flooded street corners, Congressional offices, and federal buildings across the U.S. on Saturday, April 5, in what organizers called a “national mass activation” against a growing threat to democracy and workers' rights. Nearly 1,400 rallies were held coast to coast, part of a movement opposing what protestors describe as a “Trump-Musk billionaire takeover” and “the Republican assault on our freedoms and our communities.” “Trump and Musk are attempting an illegal power grab,” the event flyer reads. “This is a crisis we must stop. Trump, Musk, and congressional Rep…

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by Cecilia Levine
News
Don't Fall For This Fake Email Scam, Feds Warn Don't Fall For This Fake Email Scam, Feds Warn
Don't Fall For This Fake Email Scam, Feds Warn A new scam is targeting people with a fake email and officials are urging the public to stay vigilant. The Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has issued the warning about fraudulent emails impersonating the agency.  These emails, which carry the subject line “Claim Benefits!”, falsely claim that recipients must apply for their 2025 Social Security benefits through a provided link. How Scam Works The scam email appears to come from SSA and directs users to a fake website disguised to look like SSA’s official page. However, clicking on the link l…

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by Joe Lombardi
Politics
Trump Calls For End To Income Tax, Offers Buyouts To 2 Million Federal Employees Trump Calls For End To Income Tax, Offers Buyouts To 2 Million Federal Employees
Trump Calls For End To Income Tax, Offers Buyouts To 2 Million Federal Employees President Donald Trump is calling for the elimination of federal income tax, advocating for a shift to a tariff-based revenue system.  He argues that this approach, which he says previously made the US “richer” and a more “powerful” economy, would mark a pivotal turning point for the nation. "America is going to be very rich again, and it's going to happen very quickly," Trump said during a speech in Florida on Monday, Jan. 27 at the 2025 Republican Issues Conference at the Trump National Doral Miami. "Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich foreign nations, we should be tariffing an…

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by Joe Lombardi
Police & Fire
Admitted Springfield Phone Scammer Must Repay $1.5M He Helped Steal: Feds Admitted Springfield Phone Scammer Must Repay $1.5M He Helped Steal: Feds
Admitted Springfield Phone Scammer Must Repay $1.5M He Helped Steal: Feds A Springfield man who pleaded guilty to his role in a phone scam operation that bilked more than $1.5 million from victims will spend two years in prison and repay what he stole, federal authorities said.  Utkarsh Thakur, 29, admitted to one count of money laundering in April, and a judge sentenced him this week, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said.  Investigators said Thakur was a member of a group of scammers who would cold-call victims and claim to be law enforcement or people of authority and threaten them with arrest or loss of public assistance if they didn't pay up.…

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by Josh Lanier
Police & Fire
Police Issue New Warning For 'Difficult To Investigate' Scams Police Issue New Warning For 'Difficult To Investigate' Scams
Police Issue New Warning For 'Difficult To Investigate' Scams Police are warning the public about a new increase in scams that are "difficult to investigate." The scams, which take place all over the country, have also been reported region. "Even though the police may be made aware of these types of cases, they can be difficult to investigate because many times the suspects are in another country or quickly leave the scene where very little suspect information is available," the Trumbull Police Department in Fairfield County, Connecticut, said. Here's a list of the types of scams: The caller claimed to be a family member that has an illness or was …

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by Kathy Reakes
News
Western Mass Woman Sentenced For Stealing $260K-Plus In Government Benefits Western Mass Woman Sentenced For Stealing $260K-Plus In Government Benefits
Western Mass Woman Sentenced For Stealing $260K-Plus In Government Benefits A Hampden County woman was sentenced in federal court for stealing more than $260,000 in government benefits. Debbie Moore, age 57, of Springfield, was sentenced on Tuesday, July 27, to five years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts announced. The first six months of Moore's sentence are set to be served under house arrest. Moore pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government money in September of 2020. The Attorney's Office said from November of 2003 through February of 2018, $261,933 in Social Security Retirement benefits intended for M…

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by Nicole Valinote
Lifestyle
COVID-19: Still Waiting On Stimulus Check? Here's New Info On Status COVID-19: Still Waiting On Stimulus Check? Here's New Info On Status
Covid-19: Still Waiting On Stimulus Check? Here's New Info On Status Some Americans are still waiting on the third round of COVID-19 stimulus checks as the federal government continues sending out millions of payments to those waiting. Two rounds of the latest batch of COVID-19 have already been distributed to eligible taxpayers who provided direct deposit information on their 2019 or 2020 returns, providing some relief to Americans struggling during the pandemic. According to the IRS, it has already distributed approximately 127 million payments for a total of $325 billion under President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan. For the third stimulus payment, 30…

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by Zak Failla
Business
COVID-19: Here's How To Track Status Of Stimulus Check COVID-19: Here's How To Track Status Of Stimulus Check
Covid-19: Here's How To Track Status Of Stimulus Check Impatient Americans waiting on their third COVID-19 stimulus check now have a tool as the IRS reopened its “Get My Payment” tool. Using the online aid, taxpayers can keep track of their $1,400 payment that started hitting some Americans’ bank account as recently as this weekend. “Get My Payment” is updated daily, typically overnight, and is a means to avoid having Americans flooding the IRS phone lines asking where their stimulus check is. Officials noted that those working the phones do not have any information that isn’t listed on the IRS website. To check the status, one simply has to g…

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by Zak Failla
News
Trump Built a National Debt So Big - Before COVID-19 - It’ll Weigh Down The Economy For Years Trump Built a National Debt So Big - Before COVID-19 - It’ll Weigh Down The Economy For Years
Trump Built a National Debt So Big - Before Covid-19 - It’ll Weigh Down The Economy For Years The “King of Debt” promised to reduce the national debt — then his tax cuts made it surge. Add in the pandemic, and he oversaw the third-biggest deficit increase of any president. One of President Donald Trump’s lesser-known but profoundly damaging legacies will be the explosive rise in the national debt that occurred on his watch. The financial burden that he’s inflicted on our government will wreak havoc for decades, saddling our kids and grandkids with debt, Propublica reported. The national debt has risen by almost $7.8 trillion during Trump’s time in office. That’s nearly twice as much …

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by Allan Sloan, ProPublica, and Cezary Podkul for ProPublica Jan. 14, 5 a.m. EST
News
COVID-19: Beware Of These Vaccine Scams, FBI, DOJ Warn COVID-19: Beware Of These Vaccine Scams, FBI, DOJ Warn
Covid-19: Beware Of These Vaccine Scams, FBI, DOJ Warn Scammers are using the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines in the United States to trick people into paying for doses or early access that never comes, federal authorities are warning. As COVID-19 vaccines become more available, there has been a spike in scams seeking to exploit people’s desire to protect themselves and their loved ones from the virus, according to the U.S. Department of Justice as well as local police departments and other law enforcement agencies. “Members of the public should be suspicious of unexpected or unsolicited contact from anyone unknown to them claiming to have inform…

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by Kristin Palpini