Scams are getting more sophisticated. Here's how to stay safe.
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TODAY'S STARTING POINT
On a recent Saturday morning, my future mother-in-law got a call from Central Maine Power, Maine's largest utility company. At least she thought it was from them.
The caller, who identified himself as Ryan with CMP, told her that her payment was overdue and that he was headed over to her house to disconnect her power unless she paid the balance. 'Ryan' gave her a reference number for her case and a phone number to call, which featured a standard pre-recorded menu of options ('press extension 2 for billing and payment'). A woman purporting to be another CMP employee picked up and advised her to pay her balance through Zelle, a digital service linked to many banks that transfers money quickly. If she paid through her CMP account or with a credit card, the woman warned, it wouldn't clear in time to stop the disconnection.
It was at this point that my fiancée's mom became suspicious. She logged into her online CMP account, saw that her outstanding balance was $0, and told the billing operator that. The operator hung up immediately.
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The experience left her embarrassed and shaken, common feelings for the 2.6 million people in the US who reported being targeted by a scam last year. Scams, which now steal more money from Americans than ever, have become increasingly sophisticated. Here's how you can protect yourself.
Scammers' paradise
Scams have become more ubiquitous, complex, and effective for two main reasons: technology and the involvement of foreign criminal groups.
Technology has made it easier for scammers to find victims. Phishing — attempts to steal your personal information through emails, texts, or robocalls —
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'Scammers are where people are,' said Rosario Mendez, an assistant director at the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection, which tracks fraud data.
Technology has also made scams easier to pull off. It's cheap to send robocalls, text messages, and emails in bulk. Artificial intelligence can create legitimate-looking websites and generate voices, images, and even videos — called deepfakes — that appear to be family members, friends,
International criminal groups have increasingly gotten in on the action. So-called 'scam farms,' many based in Southeast Asia, became more common during Covid. They often coerce trafficked people into targeting Americans and others with scam texts, calls, and social media outreaches. Members of Mexico's Jalisco drug cartel have posed as brokers — and
'Fraud is a business,' said Kathy Stokes of AARP's Fraud Watch Network, which helps Americans spot and report scams. 'Criminals follow the news just like everybody else, and they take advantage of what they know.'
Those factors helped drive reported fraud losses in the US
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Scammers are also adaptable. College students are vulnerable to employment scams, in which fraudsters pose as job recruiters. Despite the stereotype that older people are at greater risk, consumers in their 20s
Know the signs
Most scams, whether they come via cold phone calls, fishy texts, or emails with suspicious attachments, have a few things in common: The contact is unexpected, has a sense of urgency, and is designed to elicit a strong emotional response, according to Stokes of AARP.
A classic example is
There are also ways to prevent at least some scams from reaching you in the first place. Stokes suggests installing an app on your cell phone that blocks unknown numbers — like
Local news is also a good way to find scams circulating in your area. The Portland Press Herald
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And if you do get scammed, report it. You'll be helping others avoid falling victim. As Stokes said, 'It can happen, and does happen, to everybody.'
🧩 7 Across:
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POINTS OF INTEREST
Boston's Northern Avenue Bridge in 1985
Joe Dennehy
Boston
Money matters:
Josh Kraft, the billionaire's son running for mayor, out-raised Mayor Michelle Wu last month. But
Doctor who?
Beth Israel surgeons are conducting
Bridge to nowhere:
The Northern Avenue bridge, a rickety 640-foot span over the Fort Point Channel, will be scrapped
Self-deporting:
A Turkish man wants ICE to deport him so
Massachusetts
Venial sin?
Paul Toner, a Cambridge city councilor caught frequenting a brothel ring, says
Manhunt:
Police are searching for a 22-year-old Brockton man who they believe
Local impact:
Massachusetts parents fear that potential GOP cuts to Medicaid, which helps fund MassHealth, will harm the
Long ride:
For the first time in 65 years, residents of Fall River and other South Coast communities
Trump administration
'Punishment':
Top colleges, including many in New England, are bracing for congressional Republicans to try to raise the tax the schools
Free speech debate:
A Columbia University student who is a legal permanent resident sued Trump after immigration agents tried to deport her for participating in pro-Palestinian protests. (
Not so fast:
A judge blocked Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency from accessing people's private data at federal departments including Education and Treasury. (
Post hoc:
Louis DeJoy, who became the postmaster general during Trump's first term, stepped down as administration officials weigh privatizing the agency. (
School's in:
Massachusetts school districts are suing over the administration's efforts to
Art critic:
Trump called a portrait of him on display at the Colorado state capitol 'truly the worst.' Now it's being taken down. (
BESIDE THE POINT
By Teresa Hanafin, Globe Staff
🎧 Heartbreak
Hotel
Hill:
With the Boston Marathon approaching (April 21), our colleagues are assembling a playlist of good songs to run to.
🧬
DNA alert:
Ever do one of those 23andMe genetic tests? The company has gone bankrupt, and experts say you should delete your data. Here's how. (
🌿
Spring cooking:
Milk Street has some
⚾️
Crystal ball:
Will the Red Sox win the AL East? Which teams will get to the World Series? Our
📖
Turn the page:
Bibliotherapy is hot. Reading books can help you relax and even gain insights, like where the heck your local library is. (
📺
TV this week:
Seth Rogan looks old in 'The Studio,' Helen Mirren emanates ferocity in 'MobLand,' and
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⛷️
Downhill racer:
Skier Lindsey Vonn, 40, became the oldest woman to win a World Cup medal, taking silver at the super-G at Sun Valley. (
🎸
Money is on its way:
The
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Atlantic
26 minutes ago
- Atlantic
Stephen Miller Triggers Los Angeles
During a lull in the chanting outside the federal building targeted by protesters in downtown Los Angeles this week, I walked up behind a hooded young man wearing a mask and carrying a can of spray paint. He began to deface the marble facade in big black letters. WHEN TYRANNY BECOMES LAW, REBELLION BECOMES DUTY—THOMAS JEFFERSON, he wrote, adding his tag, SMO, in smaller font. SMO told me that he is 21, Mexican American, an Angeleno, and a 'history buff' who thinks about the Founding Fathers more than the average tagger does. He said he wanted to write something that stood out from the hundreds of places where FUCK ICE now appears. 'I needed a better message that would inspire more people to remember that our history as Americans is deeply rooted in being resistant to the ones who oppress us,' he told me. 'Our Founding Fathers trusted that we the people would take it into our hands to fight back against a government who no longer serves the people.' (The quote, although spurious, captures some of the ideas that Jefferson put into the Declaration of Independence, according to the Thomas Jefferson Foundation.) Whether what's occurring in Los Angeles is a noble rebellion, a destructive riot, or a bit of both, the protests here have been the most intense demonstrations against President Donald Trump and his policies since he retook office. They were set off by a new, more aggressive phase of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids across the city last week. But it's important to keep some perspective on the size of the confrontations. Los Angeles County covers more than 4,000 square miles, with a population of 10 million, and across much of that sunny expanse, life has carried on as usual this week. Missy Ryan and Jonathan Lemire: The White House is delighted with events in Los Angeles The protesters' focal point has been the federal building in downtown Los Angeles where several Department of Homeland Security agencies, including ICE, have offices. Just across the 101 freeway is the El Pueblo de Los Angeles historic plaza, which marks the site where settlers of Native American, African, and European heritage first arrived in 1781. Nearly every city block in this part of town is taken up by a courthouse or some other stone edifice of law or government, including the Art Deco tower of Los Angeles City Hall. In a city built on shaky ground, these civic structures are meant to project stability and permanence. But L.A.'s layered, fraught history seemed very much on the minds of many demonstrators I spoke with, who told me that they felt like their right to belong—regardless of legal status—was under attack. Although the crowd of protesters has not been especially large, drawing at most a few thousand people, it has been a microcosm of Los Angeles and the deep-blue Democratic coalition that has dominated the city for decades. It's a mix of young Hispanic people—many the children of first-generation immigrants—and older liberals, college students, and left-wing activists; also present is a contingent of younger, more militant protesters, who have been eager to confront police and inflict damage on the city's buildings and institutions, and film themselves doing it. At one point on Monday, I watched a group of jumpy teen boys in hoods and masks who appeared no older than 15 or 16 approach one of the last unblemished surfaces on the federal building. One shook a spray can and began writing in large, looping letters. The nozzle wasn't working well, and his friends began to rush him. Trump is a BICH, he wrote, and ran away. Observing the crowd and speaking with protesters over the past several days, I couldn't help but think of Stephen Miller, the top Trump aide who has ordered immigration officials to arrest and deport more and more people, encouraging them to do so in the most attention-grabbing of ways. The version of Los Angeles represented by the protesters is the one Miller deplores. The city has a voracious demand for workers that, for decades, has mostly looked past legal status and allowed newcomers from around the world to live and work without much risk of arrest and deportation. Trump and Miller have upended that in a way many people here describe as a punch in the face. Los Angeles, specifically the liberal, upper-middle-class enclave of Santa Monica, is Miller's hometown, and it became the foil for his archconservative political identity. He is often described as the 'architect' of Trump's immigration policy, but his role as a political strategist—and chief provocateur—is much bigger than that. It is no fluke that Los Angeles is where Miller could most aggressively assert the ideas he champions in Trump's MAGA movement: mass deportations and a maximal assertion of executive power. No matter if it means calling out U.S. troops to suppress a backlash triggered by those policies. 'Huge swaths of the city where I was born now resemble failed third world nations. A ruptured, balkanized society of strangers,' Miller wrote Monday on X. He was attacking Governor Gavin Newsom for suing to reverse the Trump administration's takeover of the California National Guard—the first time the government has federalized state forces since 1965. Trump has also called up 700 U.S. Marines. Miller was defending the use of force to subdue protesters, but he was really talking about something bigger in his hometown. This was a culture war, with real troops. What was the spark? On May 21, Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem brought the heads of ICE's regional offices to Washington for a dressing-down. Trump had promised the largest mass-removal campaign in U.S. history and wanted 1 million deportations a year. ICE officers had been making far more arrests in American communities than under Joe Biden, but they were well short of Trump's desired pace. Miller demanded 3,000 arrests a day—a nearly fourfold increase—and demoted several top ICE officials who weren't hitting their targets. Miller's push is just a warm-up. The Republican funding bill Trump wants to sign into law by Independence Day would formalize his goal of 1 million deportations annually, and furnish more than $150 billion for immigration enforcement, including tens of billions for more ICE officers, contractors, detention facilities, and removal flights. If Los Angeles and other cities are recoiling now, how will they respond when ICE has the money to do everything Miller wants? Trump and his 'border czar,' the former ICE acting director Tom Homan, had been insisting for months that the deportation campaign would prioritize violent criminals and avoid indiscriminate roundups. Miller has told ICE officials to disregard that and to hit Home Depot parking lots. So they have. The number of arrests reported by ICE has soared past 2,000 a day in recent weeks. Backed by the Border Patrol, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other federal law-enforcement agencies pressed into helping ICE, officers are arresting people who show up for immigration-court appointments or periodic 'check-ins' to show that they have remained in compliance with court orders. Last week in Los Angeles, ICE teams began showing up at those Home Depot parking lots and work sites, including a downtown apparel factory. This was a redline for many Angelenos. Protesters told me that it was the moment Miller and Trump went from taunts and trolling to something more personal and threatening. About a third of the city's residents are foreign-born. Juliette Kayyem: Trump's gross misuse of the National Guard 'This is humiliating,' Hector Agredano, a 30-year-old community-college instructor who was demonstrating on Sunday outside a Pasadena hotel, told me. ICE officers were rumored to be staying at the location and two others nearby, drawing dozens of protesters who chanted and carried signs demanding ICE out of LA! 'They are tearing apart our families,' Agredano told me. 'We will not stand for this. They cannot sleep safely at night while our communities are being terrorized.' Some activists have been trying to track ICE vehicles and show up where officers make arrests to film and protest. More established activist groups are organizing vigils and marches while urging demonstrators to remain peaceful. They have struggled to contain the younger, angrier elements of the crowd downtown who lack their patience. On Sunday, I watched protesters block the southbound lanes of the 101 until police cleared them with tear gas. Some in the crowd hurled water bottles and debris down at officers and set off bottle rockets and cherry bombs. The police responded with flash-bangs, which detonate with a burst of light. There were so many explosions happening, it wasn't easy to tell if they belonged to the protesters or to law enforcement. I tried approaching a police line, and a boom sounded near my head, ringing my ears. One group of vandals summoned several Waymo self-driving cars to the street next to the plaza where the city was founded and set them ablaze. People in the crowd hooted and cheered at the leaping flames, and the cars' melting batteries and sensors sent plumes of oily black smoke toward police helicopters circling above. Firetrucks arrived and put out the last of the flames, leaving little piles of gnarled metal. City officials grew more alarmed the following evening, when smaller groups of masked teenagers rampaged through downtown and looted a CVS, an Apple Store, and several other businesses, prompting Mayor Karen Bass to set an 8 p.m. curfew in the area yesterday. The smoke and flames began shifting attention away from the administration's immigration imagery has been giddily watched by White House officials, and it's fueled speculation that it could create an opening for Miller to attempt to invoke the Insurrection Act. For years he has longingly discussed the wartime power, which would give troops a direct law-enforcement role on U.S. streets, potentially including immigration arrests. Yesterday, Trump said that he would not allow Los Angeles to be 'invaded and conquered by a foreign enemy,' and that he would 'liberate' the country's second-largest city. His send-in-the-Marines order underscored his apparent eagerness to deal with the demonstrators as combatants, rather than as civilians and American citizens. Since Trump's announcement, protesters have been on the lookout for the Marines, wondering if their arrival would signal a darker, more violent phase of the government's response. But military officials said today that the Marine units will need to receive more training in civilian deployments before they go to Los Angeles. Despite the attention on the federalized California National Guard troops, they have had a minimal role so far, standing guard at the entrance to the federal building where SMO and other taggers have left messages for Trump and ICE. Mayor Bass said that about 100 soldiers were stationed there as of today. Trump has activated 4,000, and there are signs that their role is already expanding: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted a photo yesterday of soldiers with rifles and full combat gear standing guard for ICE officers making street arrests. 'This We'll Defend,' he wrote. David Frum: For Trump, this is a dress rehearsal In downtown Los Angeles, though, the LAPD and the California Highway Patrol—which are under the control of the state and local Democratic leaders—have been left to handle violent protesters and looters. By insisting that Trump's troop deployment is unnecessary and provocative, Newsom and Bass are under more pressure to make sure that their forces, not Trump's, can keep a lid on the anger. Their officers have fired tear gas, flash-bang grenades, and a kind of less-than-lethal projectile known as a sponge grenade that leaves bruises and welts. One Australian television reporter was hit while doing a live report; many others have been shot at point-blank range. Over more than three days of street confrontations, there have been no deaths or reports of serious injuries. Some protesters gathered up the spent sponge munitions as souvenirs. With a hard foam nose and a thick plastic base, they resemble Nerf darts from hell. I met one protester, carrying a camera, who wore a bandage around his forearm where he'd been struck minutes earlier. Castro—he wouldn't give me his first name—told me that he was a 39-year-old security guard whose parents are from El Salvador. He likened the pain to a sprained ankle. 'I was born and raised in Los Angeles. I support, I love, I stand for America. I love the USA,' he told me. 'I'm here today to support our people of Los Angeles. That's it.' Some Democrats outside the state have chafed at the sight of protesters waving Mexican flags and those of other nations, which Trump officials have seized upon as evidence of anti-Americanism. Protesters told me the flags of their or their parents' home countries are not intended as a sign of loyalty to another nation. Quite a few protesters waved the Stars and Stripes too, or a hybrid of the American flag and their home country's. Hailey, a 23-year-old welder carrying a Guatemalan flag, told me she wanted to display her heritage at a protest that brought together people from all over. That was part of belonging to California, she said: 'I was born on American soil, but I just think it's appropriate to celebrate where my family is from. And America is supposed to be a celebration of that.' Dylan Littlefield, a bishop who joined a rally on Sunday led by union organizers, told me that he grew up in L.A. with Italian Americans displaying their flag. 'No one has ever made a single comment or had any objection to the Italian flag flying, so the people that are making the flag issue now really are trying to create a battle where there's no battle to be had,' he said. The protests against Trump in Los Angeles have picked up, to some extent, where those in Portland left off. In 2020, anti-ICE protesters targeted the federal courthouse in downtown Portland, and DHS sent federal agents and officers to defend the building and confront the crowds. The destructive standoff carried on for months, and the city's Democratic mayor and Oregon's Democratic governor eventually had to use escalating force against rioters. Newsom and Bass seem keen to avoid the price they would pay politically if that were to occur here, but for now they are caught between the need to suppress the violent elements of the protests and their desire to blame the White House for fanning the flames. Anne Applebaum: This is what Trump does when his revolution sputters Trump officials say they have delighted in the imagery of L.A. mayhem and foreign-flag waving, but they face a threat, too, if protests spread beyond blue California and become a nationwide movement. That would take pressure off Newsom and Bass. Doe Hain, a retired teacher I met in Pasadena this week holding a Save Democracy sign for passing motorists, told me that the ICE push into California symbolizes the worst fears of an authoritarian takeover by a president unfazed by the idea of turning troops against Americans. 'I don't really think I can protest the existence of ICE as a federal agency, but we can protest the way that they're doing things,' Hain said. 'They're bypassing people's rights and the laws, and that's not right.' Few people I spoke with said they thought the protests in Los Angeles would diminish, even if more troops arrive in the city. There have been fewer reports of ICE raids since the protests erupted, and one Home Depot I visited on Monday—south of Los Angeles, in Huntington Park—had had only a handful of arrests that day, bystanders told me. ICE teams had moved to other locations in Southern California and the Central Valley. They will surely be back. At a minimum, Miller and other Trump officials have come away from this round of confrontations with the imagery they wanted. Today, DHS released a none-too-subtle social-media ad with a dark, ominous filter, featuring the flaming Waymos, Mexican flags, looters, and rock throwers. 'RESTORE LAW AND ORDER NOW!' it said, with the number for an ICE tip line. It fades out on an image of a burning American flag.
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
California lawmakers condemn violence amid anti-immigration raid protests
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Central Valley lawmakers spoke out against violent protesters as California residents, including those in Bakersfield, continue to protest against immigration enforcement. In a statement released on Wednesday, Assemblywoman Dr. Jasmeet Bains said while Americans have the right to protest forcefully but peacefully, she has no tolerance for 'masked crowds that loot stores and burn the American flag.' Bains went on to criticize politicians who interfere with law enforcement, pointing out President Donald Trump in particular. Protesters gather at downtown Liberty Bell for 2nd time as fear lingers over immigration raids 'A president who pardons felons who assault police officers should have kept his nose out of law enforcement's business,' Bains said in her statement, referring back to the Jan. 6 rioters pardoned by Trump in January. 'I don't want to see another TV interview with Trump, the Governor, or any other politician acting tough,' Bains said. 'Let our law enforcement leaders speak, give them what they need to restore order, and then get out of their way.' Protests against ICE agents and immigration enforcement activities have been roiling through Los Angeles, where Trump recently deployed the National Guard and the Marines in response. While there are no reports of immigration enforcement officers in Kern County as of June 11, a widespread fear took over the community in recent months when a sudden immigration raid in January targeted farm workers and laborers in the community. Since Monday, Bakersfield residents have protested against ICE raids in solidarity with L.A. On Tuesday, Congressman David Valadao announced his joining of a Republican delegation to introduce a resolution formally condemning the riots in L.A. Valadao shared similar words of opposition to violence and vandalism as Bains, but also urged Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to 'restore peace' to California's streets through the resolution. 'Standing for law and order should be common sense, and ICE should continue to prioritize the removal of known criminals from our country,' Valadao said in a press release. Congressman Vince Fong heavily criticized Newsom and the protesters in L.A., calling Newsom's refusal to allow local law enforcement agencies to cooperate with federal agents 'disgraceful.' In an interview with NewsNation, Fong accused Newsom of refusing to protect federal agents and buildings, saying downtown L.A. is 'under siege' due to the protests. Never miss a story: Make your homepage 'You have search warrants that are being issued, approved by judges, arrests are being made on illegal immigrants that have committed heinous crimes, and the governor of California is opposed to that and won't allow the cooperation of state and local law enforcement to work with federal officials? I mean, this is the height of irresponsibility,' Fong said. Fong said he wants to see the 'progressive groups that are hellbent on destroying downtown L.A.' get arrested and be held accountable for damages. 'The number one priority for the government on the federal level, on the state level and on the local level is to protect communities,' Fong said. 'And if the local government and the governor of California won't do it, then someone has to, and the president is stepping up.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Miami Herald
33 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary warns Americans on 401(k)s
Most American workers generally understand that Social Security monthly paychecks will one day significantly contribute to their future retirement income. But because those Social Security benefits are not by themselves enough to provide people with the financial resources they need to live on comfortably, most also recognize that 401(k) plans and IRAs (Individual Retirement Accounts) are additional tools necessary for securing their financial future. However, finding the extra money to contribute to these accounts can be a significant challenge. Kevin O'Leary, a prominent entrepreneur and investor widely known for his appearances on ABC's "Shark Tank," shares a method that enables workers to cut expenses and direct more money toward their 401(k) and IRA savings. He also offers a stark financial warning. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Participating in an employer-sponsored 401(k) plan is a dependable way to build retirement savings, especially when employers offer matching contributions. With automatic payroll deductions, this method allows employees to invest in their future effortlessly, making it both practical and efficient. Related: Jean Chatzky sends strong message to Americans on Social Security IRAs, on the other hand, provide a wider selection of investment options not typically available through 401(k) plans. However, they require more hands-on management, as individuals must open an account and set up automatic contributions independently. In addition to a major warning, O'Leary offers valuable advice on how individuals can cut costs and increase their retirement contributions, which for many Americans primarily consist of 401(k) plans. Many workers who are committed to contributing as much money as they can toward their 401(k) plans find it difficult to do so because their spending habits leave little left to put away for the future. In fact, O'Leary emphasizes, many people spend more than they make - and are working in large part to finance their debts and pay their bills. "You are in constant fear of losing your job, or of your assets losing their value. You worry that one big, unexpected bill might put you under for good, and then you avoid that thought," described O'Leary in his book, "Cold Hard Truth on Men, Women and Money." "You're avoiding the phone and people to whom you owe money. Maybe you're retreating from friends and family out of fear or shame," O'Leary continued. "You're steeped in magical thinking about money - for example, believing you're one lottery ticket, inheritance, or windfall away from total financial transformation." "You wake up in despair and you go to bed defeated. You don't live within your means because you don't even know what they are." More on retirement: Jean Chatzky shares major statement about Social SecurityDave Ramsey sounds alarm for Americans on retirementScott Galloway warns Americans on 401(k), US economy threat O'Leary explains that people who feel this describes them to any degree should correct it immediately. He offers a first step people can take to get a handle on where they stand financially. Related: Dave Ramsey warns Americans on Social Security In order to increase retirement savings and add a larger percentage of their income to 401(k) plans, people first need to get a good feel for where they are financially. O'Leary suggests simplifying money management down to a single figure - either positive or negative. He encourages individuals to calculate their total earnings over three months, calling this their 90-Day Number. The process starts with identifying income. If pay stubs aren't easily accessible, reviewing bank statements can help track all incoming funds, including salaries, side jobs, and other sources of cash flow. Next, he recommends listing all expenses separately - small purchases such as coffee, clothing, and snacks, as well as major costs such as bills, debt payments, rent, and car loans. The key step is subtracting total expenses from total income. If the result is positive, the individual is in good financial shape and can immediately consider increasing their 401(k) contributions. A negative outcome signals a need for adjustments. The extent of necessary changes depends on how much spending exceeds earnings, requiring smarter budgeting to create space for investments in long-term financial security, O'Leary explains. In the latter instance - after some planning, budgeting and hard work - a person can still reach the point of increasing investments in their 401(k) plans. Related: Dave Ramsey sends major message to Americans on IRAs, Roth IRAs The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
