Pat Lawlor and his wife were first-time homebuyers, eager and ready to start the process. Things took a turn for the worse when Pat received an email from his “escrow officer” and sent over their down payment. Catch the full interview here. Buyer beware!
Best way to stop spam texts for good
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“Official notice from USPS. Your delivery is on hold.” I wonder why …
“Hi, how are you?” Who could this be?
“You won!” Lucky me!
These scammy texts have one goal: To get you to respond so they can trick you into giving them your money, sharing your login credentials or letting them install malware. Scammers are getting sneakier, and they’re succeeding.
Americans lost a whopping $2.7 billion to imposter scams in 2023. This includes any scam where someone pretends to be someone they’re not — a friend, a business or even a government agency. Text messages have become the go-to tool for these cons, because fewer people are answering unknown calls — but everyone reads their texts.
Don’t let yourself become a statistic. I have a list of sure spam signs to watch for and my secret weapon for stopping spam in the first place.
How to spot scam texts
Why are scam texts so common? The FTC says the average open rate for texts is an astounding 98% compared to just 20% for email. No wonder scammers love using them. Here’s how to spot them:
- Urgent language: Scam texts often use alarming or urgent language, like “Your account is suspended!” or “You must act now!” They try to create a sense of panic, hoping you’ll click a link without thinking.
- Unfamiliar senders: Scammers often use random numbers to impersonate companies or services.
- Links or attachments: If the message contains a link or attachment you weren’t expecting, don’t tap it. Scammers use these to steal your information or fool you into installing malware on your device.
- Personal information requests: Legitimate companies won’t ask for your sensitive information, like passwords, Social Security numbers or credit card details, via text.
- Too-good-to-be-true offers: Texts promising cash prizes, free gifts or rewards for little or no effort are almost always scams.
- Spoofed company names: Some scammers use company names or slight misspellings (e.g., “Amaz0n” instead of “Amazon”) to trick you into thinking the message or sender is legit.
‘We need your help to win this election!’
Political texts can be just as annoying as spam. To reduce these (and the spam), you can:
- Reply “STOP” or “UNSUBSCRIBE” if the message is from a legitimate company or political campaign. Otherwise, don’t reply. Responding confirms your number works, and you’ll receive even more spam. Btw, political campaigns are required by law to honor these opt-out requests.
- Register your number with the National Do Not Call Registry. I know, this doesn’t do much, but it only takes a sec to do it.
- Block specific numbers. Most smartphones let you block numbers that send spam. The problem? Spammers always find a new number to use, so blocking only one is a waste of time, really.
- Report unwanted texts. Forward the message to 7726 (SPAM) to report it to your carrier. Hopefully, if they get enough, they’ll take action to make it stop — no promises, though.
5 things you should never put on a resume
In life, few rewards come without risk. Take your dream job, for instance. If you want to land that position you’ve been dreaming about, you’ll need to make a great first impression.
When you’re applying for jobs, that all comes down to your resume. Every little detail makes a big difference. For example, a small mistake could take you out of the running for a job you’re qualified for.
Save your butt: Maybe you ignored this yesterday, but I’ve got your back. Grab an Amazon gift card and print out the details or email it to them. Here’s a trick to make a gift card feel special: Put it in a little box, then put that inside a bigger box. Put that one in another box. Now wrap it all up, and they’ll have a fun surprise opening it.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Send that cold email, now
Could one email change everything? It did for Airbnb. Stick around for tips to make your next email a game-changer.
😡 In corporate speak, it’s “rightsizing”: A 60-year-old GM worker was laid off after nearly four decades with the company. The shocking news came via an email sent at 5:07 a.m. last Friday as part of a global mass layoff. Stunned, he shared his story on LinkedIn, and it’s since gone viral, with one video racking up over 1.6 million views. So sad how little loyalty means to some companies.
2.5 billion Gmail users
Are at risk of hijacking. In the last half of the year, credential theft soared 700%, and phishing attempts to break into email accounts spiked 200%. Promise me you’re not using your email password for any other accounts!
So much data left exposed for anyone to see
© Andrey Popov | Dreamstime.com
Another day, another monumental data breach. Just because they’re getting more common doesn’t mean you can tune it out. In fact, it’s time to get even more serious about your private information and what’s posted online.
Small business owners: Simplify your life with one financial tool that does it all
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Are your finances as organized as you’d like them to be? Come on, be honest. For most business owners, the answer is a reluctant no.
As your company grows, you will have more expenses, contractors, KPIs and hands managing it all. If your communication happens through email, over the phone, in messages, and via spreadsheets, you will hit a wall sooner or later.
✈️ Lost your luggage? United, Delta and Air Canada now accept Find My item locations. If your lost bag has an Apple AirTag, open the Find My app > select the tracked tag > Share Item Location. Grab that link and email it straight to the airline. Easy!
🤖 “So, uh, where do I find ChatGPT?” I get that in my email every day. Use it on the web or download it for iPhone or Android. You’ll need to create an account. The free tier works for most people.
You’ve got mail: Psychologists say those who aim for “Inbox Zero,” aka no unread email, might be perfectionists craving control. If you let unread emails pile up, you might be more laid-back and focused on priorities over organization. Some people even get more stressed trying to keep a clear inbox. Try as I might, I’m not an “Inbox Zero” gal.
📱 It’s like Siri went to college: The smart assistant now uses ChatGPT on the iPhone 15 Pro or any iPhone 16. If you grant permission, the iOS 18.2 update allows OpenAI’s GPT-4 to step in if Siri can’t help you. No ChatGPT account, free or paid, is needed. It’s kinda weird. I opened an email and it automatically generated a reply that was pretty damn good.
Watch out for QR code email scams
QR codes are everywhere — restaurants, stores, even buses. But scammers are taking advantage of that convenience.
How to say goodbye to Google forever
The Big Tech company is in everything — your email, docs, and more. Here’s how to reduce your reliance on it.
Top 5 words used in email scams
You get hundreds of emails every day, but how can you tell which ones are out to scam you? I’ll share what to watch for.
Sextortion scams are getting more realistic
Got an email saying your webcam was hacked? Don’t worry — it’s just another sextortion scam. I’ll tell you why it’s all fake and how to stay safe.
When you delete an email, is it gone for good?
Think your deleted emails are gone forever? Think again — Big Tech is holding onto them, and they’re making money off every last one.
That Social Security email isn't a scam
If you got an email from the Social Security Administration this week, you might be tempted to toss it in the trash. But here’s why you shouldn’t and what you should do next.
Having a kid? Give them an email
I bought my son’s domain name and set up his email before he was even born. Here’s why it was a great move.