Like a vintage shirt, older in life can equal more complicated. For instance, over the past couple of years, my wife has started managing her aging mother’s finances. That includes the dubious honor of sending out the birthday checks. You probably are familiar with it. It’s that tradition of combining parental generosity with the thrill of feeling like you’re rich for a … [Read more...] about Check washing is alive and well in the digital age
Scams & Cons
Those Pesky Spammy Phone Calls
As I write this, we’re in Chico, California, staying at a lovely hotel. We’re here because our three-month-old one-night reservation became an “overbooking error”—but that’s a tale for another day.Today’s story involves something considerably less glamorous: phone scams. It’s the kind of problem I never expected to encounter in an upscale hotel. But apparently, I was … [Read more...] about Those Pesky Spammy Phone Calls
Knock, Knock, It’s a Home Repair Scam: Red Flags Every Homeowner Should Know
Fall has a way of turning neighborhoods into hunting grounds — the leaves start dropping, the temperature dips just enough to make you think about your furnace, and suddenly every driveway in America has a stranger standing in it with a clipboard and a smile. This summer alone, we had two of them show up on our doorstep, unannounced, unvetted, and blissfully unbothered by the … [Read more...] about Knock, Knock, It’s a Home Repair Scam: Red Flags Every Homeowner Should Know
Anthropic Lawsuit Scam: 5 Ways Scammers Are Targeting Writers
Who knew being broke and caffeinated would make us such attractive targets? Yet here I am, writing my third scam alert aimed at writers in as many months. Apparently, scammers have discovered that while we may not have money, we do have righteous indignation—and that's almost as good. This month's scam exploits everyone's favorite rage-inducing topic: the Anthropic class action … [Read more...] about Anthropic Lawsuit Scam: 5 Ways Scammers Are Targeting Writers
The Podcast Pitch Scam Targeting Authors Right Now
I'll be honest — I almost got scammed last week. Me. The person who’s been writing scam tips for over a decade. Shortly after covering a scam targeting authors, a slicker, more convincing version of the Podcast Pitch Scam landed in my inbox, and I nearly took the bait simply because I wasn't paying close enough attention. If it can almost fool me, it can definitely fool you. … [Read more...] about The Podcast Pitch Scam Targeting Authors Right Now