The text arrived midday, saying a delivery to me was on hold. To fix the problem, all I had to do was click on a web link and enter my ZIP Code.

“Have a great day from the USPS team!” the text said.

The awkwardly worded message (with bad punctuation and an international phone number) was clearly not from the Postal Service. And if I can hazard a wild guess, I don’t think the senders really wanted me to have a great day.

They wanted to rip me off and, so, a word to the wise this holiday season:

Watch your wallet.

Fraud is a year-round, multibillion-dollar international enterprise. But for thieves, the season of joy is a wide-open window of opportunity, as AARP warned Nov. 18:

“With scammers looking to take advantage of consumers from all angles, new AARP survey research reveals that people need to be vigilant this holiday season as they buy gifts, book their travel arrangements, and donate to charities.”

Many of the scams are run by sophisticated international syndicates, said Kathy Stokes, director of fraud prevention at AARP’s Fraud Watch Network. Those crooks are working every channel, fishing for victims by email, phone calls, texts, fliers and regular mail.

Unwitting people are forking over money via gift cards, cryptocurrency, credit cards, cash and wire transfers. Losses often are virtually impossible to recover because the money is on foreign soil before the victims know they’ve been robbed.

Stokes said that in one common ripoff, thieves are going after people who own timeshares they’re trying to dump.

“There’s all this paperwork that makes it look legitimate, like you’re paying to get out of the timeshare,” Stokes said. But the crooks are pocketing thousands of dollars while the target is still stuck with the timeshare.

Last week, in a national conference on scams targeting older adults, Deborah Royster of the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau warned that consumers are being wiped out in a flash.

“Retirement savings and other resources that people have earned over a lifetime, and depend on,” Royster said, “can be gone in an instant.”

In that same conference, Virginia lawyer Julie M. Strandlie said her 85-year-old mother lost $80,000 between Thanksgiving and Christmas five years ago in a common scam that began with “flashing graphics and pounding voices” on her computer screen, warning of a virus.

“There’s a number to call for help, but it’s not the real Microsoft,” Strandlie said.

Her mother fell for the ruse, giving the criminals remote access to unlock her frozen computer. She was then duped into believing they had deposited money into her account, and she needed to pay it back in cash and gift cards from Best Buy and Target.

Steve McFarland, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau region that runs from Palo Alto to Long Beach, said his office is getting 1,100 consumer complaints of all types each and every day.

He wasn’t kidding and repeated the number.

McFarland and other sources say a greater percentage of millennials report fraud than do older adults, but the latter group suffers greater losses. And across the age spectrum, McFarland said, gift card scams are hot right now.

Bar codes on those cards can be tampered with or photographed by someone before they’re sold, McFarland said. The buyer of the card goes to a checkout stand and puts, let’s say, $100 on the card to be redeemed at Target, Burger King or any number of establishments.

But when the recipient goes to redeem it, the funds are gone. It happened last year to L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn, who bought a $100 VISA gift card for a nephew who found that it wasn’t worth a nickel. Hahn later warned of the scam, along with McFarland, on L.A.’s Eyewitness News.

“It’s called gift card draining and these scammers have found several slick ways to victimize unsuspecting shoppers,” Hahn said.

In addition to outright scams, this is a time of year when solicitations for charitable donations can fill your mailbox.

“A lot of charities are trying to close out strong, and criminals know that and are vying for the same dollars,” Stokes said.

If it’s not an established organization that’s known for its good work, Stokes advised going to the Better Business Bureau’s give.org website, where you can type in the name of the charity to find out whether it’s legit. You can also find out what percentage of donations go to the cause versus overhead costs.

Your best policy, unfortunately, is to be suspicious of everything. I recently got a letter with my mortgage lender’s name in the window and opened it to find a warning that this was my “FINAL NOTICE” to avoid a monthly payment increase.

It looked hinky, and on the back page, in fine print, I learned that the mail was from a lender unaffiliated with my mortgage company.

If you see “final notice,” “urgent” or “benefit disbursement enclosed,” don’t even bother opening the envelope.

A friend shared a tall stack of mail that keeps coming for his mother, who died months ago, and as I sifted through it I found one attempt after another to separate her from her money. “Copy of Final Check Enclosed,” said one, and in the cellophane window was what looked like a check for $437.18 that said “Pay to the order of …”

But it wasn’t a check, of course. It was a solicitation from a lobbying firm claiming it will fight to preserve Social Security funding (and by the way, she had a lot of mail from organizations claiming they were out to do the same).

The fake check was described as an example of what she stood to lose if she didn’t immediately support the cause by pulling out her credit card and making an “urgent donation” to keep Social Security solvent.

And then there were solicitations from organizations representing a Noah’s Ark of endangered animals. Look, I’m an animal lover, but how does one begin to sort through all the pleas?

Save the pigs. The horses. The bees. The lions. The donkeys.

“Sunday, a baby donkey was ripped from his mother and brutalized,” said one envelope.

Lots of appeals for dogs, too. One included the photo of a dog with amazing verbal skills, judging by the quote attributed to the canine: “I wish for no one else to be hurt the way humans have hurt me.”

I feel for the dog, but if he can actually speak, let’s get him an agent and send him out on tour so the pup can raise a fortune for his cause.

Of course, there are plenty of good charities out there that are worthy of your generosity, but be careful.

With solicitations. With email. With texts. With phone calls.

All of it.

Banks should be doing more to prevent repeated, questionable, out-of-the-ordinary withdrawals and wire transfers. The gift card industry ought to be able to rein in rampant fraud with smarter security measures.

And people of all ages need to be more discerning, refuse to provide personal information such as Social Security numbers, and get some advice from a trusted friend or loved one before signing any checks or doing business with strangers.

Last year I wrote about two retired L.A. residents, a former teacher and a former banker, who were swindled out of roughly $80,000 apiece in internet scams. Earlier this year I wrote about a Redwood City woman who was taken for $1.8 million, and an Alhambra woman, Alice Lin, who lost $720,000 in an “investment” scheme introduced to her by a man she met on a chat app.

I reached out to Lin, who had some good advice on all forms of communication from sources you don’t know or trust.

“Do not respond,” Lin said. “Don’t touch it.”

The post Column: It’s the season for scams, so here’s a piece of advice: Never do business with strangers appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

CalRTA Teacher Grants

Sue Breyer, CalRTA Vice President

We’ve all witnessed the glimmer of excitement in the eye of a child as the winter holidays draw near and their hope for that special gift brings a sense of anticipation. But that feeling of excitement isn’t limited to young kids. Four local teachers experienced that same excitement when they recently learned that they were the lucky recipients of a $100 Teacher Grant from the California Retired Teachers Association (CalRTA).

Hemet High School’s Kim Blair, Hemet Elementary School’s Mekel Bromley, and Harvest Hill STEAM Academy’s Lindsey Button each received a check for $100 from CalRTA’s local Division 33 after being randomly selected from nearly 90 applicants. Kim Vannaman from Cawston Elementary School received $100 from the state CalRTA Teacher Grant program, but because she teaches at a school within the Division 33 area, she received not only the state $100 check but also a matching $100 bill from Division 33 President Gayle Mattson, for a total of $200.

Upon hearing that she had been chosen as one of Division 33’s $100 grant recipients, Hemet High School 9th and 10th grade social science teacher Kim Blair said, “Thank you very much for the funds! In 2015 my AP Human Geography students began an outreach club which engages in fundraising and then uses the money to help those without homes in our valley. Once a month students plan, purchase, prepare and serve a meal at Hemet’s Valley Restart Shelter. One Saturday a month the students plan, purchase and pack lunch bags for those on the streets of our town. This winter they also ran a blanket drive for homeless folks and the school gave generously! I hope you know how much this program, and the funds you’ve given, help our students to become good adults with compassion and care for those less fortunate.”

Mekel Bromley, a fourth grade teacher at Hemet Elementary School, plans to use the $100 to “purchase positive incentives for her students. We do a weekly raffle to reward students for completing assignments and for their positive behaviors. My weekly raffles typically include clay, slime, boxes of sour candy, small Lego kits, small stuffed animals, reusable water bottles, glow in the dark footballs, glow sticks/items, bubbles, coloring books, art supplies, popits and fidget toys. Thank you!”

Lindsey Button teaches math and science at Harvest Hill STEAM Academy in Menifee and was surprised and excited to hear she would receive one of the grants. “Thank you so much for selecting me for the grant this month! It was such a happy surprise. I will be using the grant money to plan an engaging hands-on science activity for my students. I taught summer school a couple years ago and we were given owl pellets to dissect as a class. It was one of the best activities I have ever done with my students. They were so excited to put together the bones of the prey they found. I love teaching science, and when the students are able to get their hands dirty, I can really see them light up. It’s the best feeling in the world to share their excitement in learning. Thank you again for your generosity,” Button said.

State CalRTA $100 Teacher Grant winner Kimberly Vannaman received her $100 check and crisp $100 bill from CalRTA Division 33 President Gayle Mattson at Cawston’s staff meeting right before winter break. Vannaman said, “I want to thank CalRTA for this wonderful opportunity. With the $100 from the state CalRTA I plan to buy solar robots for students to put together as table groups. My goal is to inspire my students to want to enter STEM related fields in the future. I am so excited about the extra $100 from CalRTA Division 33 and plan to use this money to replace some broken headphones that I have been using in my classroom for years. With any remaining funds I will invest in some more flexible seating options (like with wiggle cushions) to better meet the needs of students who just need to move around more. Thank you again CalRTA for these grant funds. The money is going to enrich my classroom so much!”

Round #3 of the State CalRTA Teacher Grant program will be open for registrations on January 25, 2023, and 35 California public school teachers will be randomly chosen on February 16th from the thousands of applicants. A grant application form can be accessed at calrta.org/teacher-grants. The next round of CalRTA Division 33 Teacher Grants will open on January 13th, and the names of 3 lucky winners will be drawn at their February 14th luncheon. Teachers in Hemet, San Jacinto, Menifee, Romoland and Nuview School Districts can access a Division 33 application form at div33.calrta.org/scholarships-and-grants. For more information about CalRTA, send an email to calrtadivision33@gmail.com.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post CalRTA Makes the Holiday Season Brighter for Local Educators appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

U.S. News & World Report, L.P | Contributed

A new national survey from U.S. News & World Report’s 360 Reviews finds four in five Americans (81%) have adjusted their spending due to inflation, and 84% indicate they worry about the impact of inflation on this year’s holiday shopping season.

To better understand the impact of inflation on consumer money-saving and purchasing habits, U.S. News used a third-party survey platform to poll 2,000 U.S. adults. It asked U.S. respondents about their coupon habits, 2022 holiday shopping plans, and more. Survey responses were weighted in order to be representative of the U.S. population.

“Our latest survey makes it clear Americans are flocking to digital coupons and similar digital money-saving tools because of inflation’s impact to their wallets,” said Alexandra Kelly, senior editor, 360 Deals. Kelly adds, “And they seem to be helping. In fact, an overwhelming 91% of U.S. consumers who use coupon sites, apps, and/or browser extensions report having saved money because of these digital resources — and half of Americans (51%) say they definitely plan to use digital coupons and similar online money-saving tools to help with their holiday shopping this year.”

Additional survey highlights include:

• More than half of Americans (58%) look for coupons at least once a week.

• Three in four Americans (76%) have searched for digital coupons while grocery shopping.

• American consumers most prefer online shopping on Black Friday, followed by Amazon Prime Day, which trumped Cyber Monday.

• Half of Americans (51%) follow couponing blogs and social media accounts.

To access the full survey findings, visit:

https://www.usnews.com/articles/online-shopping-coupon-habits-survey

About U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report is the global leader in quality rankings that empower consumers, business leaders and policy officials to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives and communities. A multifaceted digital media company with Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars, News and 360 Reviews platforms, U.S. News provides rankings, independent reporting, data journalism, consumer advice and U.S. News Live events. More than 40 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post U.S. News 360 Reviews Survey Reveals Americans Have Adjusted Spending Due to Inflation, Are Worried About Inflation’s Impact on Holiday Season Ahead appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

During the Christmas and New Year’s holiday season Nov. 30-Dec. 14, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department will have additional officers on patrol looking for drivers suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

Tragically, there is an uptick in impaired drivers during the holidays. During the 2019 Christmas (Dec. 24-Dec. 26) and New Year’s Day (Dec. 28, 2018-Jan. 2, 2019) holiday periods, there were more drunk-driving related deaths (210) throughout the country than during any other holiday period in 2019.

“We want everyone to enjoy the holidays and be safe,” said Deputy Ray Cortez. “The more people who plan ahead and find a safe, sober ride home from holiday parties, the better.”

Riverside County Sheriff’s Department reminds drivers that a “DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze.” Prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs and marijuana can also impair, especially in combination with alcohol and other drugs.

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Riverside County Sheriff’s Department

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post Drive Sober This Holiday Season appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

During the Christmas and New Year’s holiday season Nov. 30-Dec. 14, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department will have additional officers on patrol looking for drivers suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.

Tragically, there is an uptick in impaired drivers during the holidays. During the 2019 Christmas (Dec. 24-Dec. 26) and New Year’s Day (Dec. 28, 2018-Jan. 2, 2019) holiday periods, there were more drunk-driving related deaths (210) throughout the country than during any other holiday period in 2019.

“We want everyone to enjoy the holidays and be safe,” said Deputy Ray Cortez. “The more people who plan ahead and find a safe, sober ride home from holiday parties, the better.”

Riverside County Sheriff’s Department reminds drivers that a “DUI Doesn’t Just Mean Booze.” Prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs and marijuana can also impair, especially in combination with alcohol and other drugs.

Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

For media inquiries regarding this incident please contact the Media Information Bureau.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post Drive Sober This Holiday Season appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Is travel safe during the pandemic this holiday season?

It depends. It can be safe if you’re fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but officials say people who haven’t gotten the shots should delay travel.

Regardless of vaccination status, all travelers should keep taking precautions like avoiding indoor, unmasked crowds, says Dr. Keith Armitage, an infectious disease expert at Case Western Reserve University.

“The delta variant has really brought us back to an earlier time in the pandemic,” he says.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says not to travel if you’re sick, or if you tested positive for COVID-19 and your isolation period isn’t over yet — even if you’re fully vaccinated. Unvaccinated people who decide to travel should get a COVID-19 test one to three days before travel and three to five days after returning.

All travelers must still wear masks on trains, planes and other indoor public transportation areas, the agency says.

Airlines say plane cabins are low risk since they have good air circulation and filtration. However, there is no requirement for vaccination or testing before domestic flights, and passengers can remove their face masks while eating or drinking.

Hotels aren’t risky for the vaccinated as long as they wear masks around strangers, Armitage says. More fraught are family gatherings with unvaccinated individuals, particularly for those who are older or have health problems.

Health experts suggest looking at the case levels and masking rules in the place you are visiting before you travel.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post Is travel safe during the pandemic this holiday season? appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Before the COVID-19 crisis began, one in nine people, including 10 million children, already lived in a food insecure household. Communities of color are disproportionately affected by both poverty and hunger. For example, one in four Native American and Alaska Natives experience food insecurity.

One in five Blacks and one in six Latinos experience food insecurity. As a result of the pandemic, unemployment has soared and the need for food assistance has increased. “Unfortunately hunger impacts Americans every day of the year, but we know that this holiday season will look much different than last.

More families are accessing food banks than ever before, and many of them for the very first time, which is why it’s really important for everyone to come together to help fight hunger this holiday season,” says Casey Marsh, chief development officer for Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization. Fortunately, efforts are being made to meet the sharp rise in food insecurity.

As part of its “Many Hearts, One Community.” holiday campaign, Wells Fargo is fulfilling its commitment to help provide 82 million meals to families in need through the Feeding America network of 200 food banks by year-end. This is a continuation of Wells Fargo’s decade-long relationship with the Feeding America network which, since the start of the pandemic, has included efforts such as turning Wells Fargo corporate properties and branch locations into mobile food distribution centers.

Additionally, during this holiday season, grants will be made internationally to food banks operating in Wells Fargo’s global footprint. “It was life-changing,” says Andrea Thomas, a single mother who received food assistance in Mesa, Ariz. “I didn’t have to figure out if I was going to pay for groceries or pay for rent to keep my household afloat.”

So how can you get involved? There are 200 Feeding America member food banks across the country, many of which need volunteers to help pack food boxes, distribute food at drive-through pantries and more. Feeding America food banks have adjusted their practices to ensure social distancing to keep everyone safe. Contact your local food bank to see how you can help families in need. You can also join the fight to end hunger by making a donation.

For more information, visit feedingamerica.org. While the issue of hunger is timely during the holidays, it doesn’t stop once the season is over. Year-round philanthropy, volunteerism and innovative efforts like drive-up food banks, can help meet the needs of families across America.

-Statepoint

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post Millions of Americans are Facing Hunger This Holiday Season appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

SCE customers report being victimized for nearly $300,000 so far this year by utility bill phone scams. While these and similar scams have existed for decades, the COVID-19 pandemic created widespread opportunities for con artists posing as utility representatives to target unsuspecting customers observing stay-at-home precautions. These attempts to steal money, personal information or both have expanded to include the growing use of mobile payment applications.

SCE’s top-10 cities for reporting utility phone scams this year are:

· Fontana

· Hemet

· Huntington Beach

· Irvine

· Long Beach

· Moreno Valley

· Ontario

· San Bernardino

· Santa Ana

· Whittier

“Our customers are doing a great job of reporting attempted scams to us, so our company can take steps to help shut down the phone lines these fraudsters use,” says Jill Anderson, SCE’s senior vice president of Customer Service.

She added, “When the COVID-19 crisis erupted, SCE quickly suspended service disconnections for nonpayment and waived late fees by request for residential and small business customers, which will continue at least until April 2021. We also want our customers to know that any threat of immediate service disconnection without payment by someone claiming to be from SCE should be recognized as a scam attempt.”

Reports from customers to SCE indicate utility bill scams tend to target the elderly, English learners — or both — and smaller businesses such as hair salons and auto mechanics, many of which have been struggling since the pandemic started.

To avoid becoming a victim of a utility bill scam, customers should know that:

· SCE does not have a “disconnection department.”

· SCE will never demand an immediate payment with the threat of disconnection.

· SCE does not accept prepaid cash cards or bitcoins for bill payments.

· SCE will never ask for your credit card or account information over the phone.

· SCE employees will not demand to collect, or accept, payment in the field.

Customers who believe they are being or have been targeted by a utility bill scam should confirm their account balance or payment status by calling SCE’s customer service center at 1-800-655-4555. If possible, save information such as callback phone numbers or payment instructions and report the attempt by calling SCE’s customer service center, emailing SCE at csinfogov@sce.com or by completing SCE’s online fraud form.

To learn more about the suspicious behaviors and tactics of utility bill phone scammers, please visit sce.com/scamalert.

About Southern California Edison

An Edison International (NYSE: EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a population of approximately 15 million via 5 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.

-Southern California Edison

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post SCE Names Top-10 Cities for Reporting Phone Scams, Urges Vigilance During Holiday Season appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

For most of us, the holiday season is a time for reunions with family and friends in which we express an appreciation for all our blessings; good health, family unity, a roof over our heads, food on the table, and a job that allows us to enjoy a dignified and respectable life.

Even though we tend to take it for granted, we give thanks for our good health, without which, the quality of our lives would be greatly diminished.  Poor health is the single-most important factor that deters us from attaining peace of mind and happiness.

When we look around us and observe dysfunctional families, we give thanks for being a part of a traditional family unit in which mother, father and children play their long established and accepted roles in society.  In today’s particularly challenging societal culture, we give special thanks to a mother and father who manage to bring-up their offspring to be good and productive citizens, while looking after their elders when needed, while willing to sacrifice their own comfort and desires in the process.

Having a solid and permanent roof over our heads is another major reason for giving thanks. We need to be reminded of the thousands of families and individuals who can’t claim this basic benefit, who sleep in shelters, in the best of circumstances, or live in dangerous circumstances on the streets of our cities. We also need to give thanks for all the good people who volunteer their time and talent to mitigate this painful social affliction.

Food in sufficient quantities everyday on the dinner table, three times a day, affectionately prepared in our homes for our enjoyment and nourishment, is also presumed as a given. As we all need to be aware, too many families and individuals cannot claim this essential benefit and are forced to resort to food pantries.

Having a good and secure job is something for which we should be especially thankful.

Hopefully this holiday season, we can try to walk in the shoes of those less fortunate; understand their condition, and do what is in our power to alleviate their plight: we can then sincerely give thanks for all our blessings.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

Search: Holiday Season

The post Holiday Season is Fast Approaching – let’s celebrate appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.