Latest news with #telecommunications
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Spam texts and robocalls are more than a nuisance. People are being scammed.
If you're anything like me, you've probably reached your limit with the incessant barrage of spam text messages and calls that flood your phone. It seems that every few minutes, I get yet another unsolicited message — whether it's from a random number trying to convince me to sell my home or a marketing survey asking for my thoughts on everything from the current state of the economy to the performance of President Donald Trump. The most frustrating part about these intrusions is the constant prompt to type "Stop" if you wish to opt out. Yet, I've noticed that responding in this way often feels counterproductive; instead of putting an end to the harassment, it seems to only add my number to even more lists of groups that bombard me with relentless messages. The frustrating cycle worsens when I receive a call from an unknown number. If I don't answer, I might miss an important call. Conversely, when I do pick up and hear, 'Hello, James, we've been reviewing your property and are ready to extend a generous offer to you…' I want to scream. Robocalls and scam texts are not only frustrating; they can also lead to significant financial losses. I usually don't allow the caller to finish their second sentence on a spam call before I interrupt and tell them to remove me from their call list. When they are aggressive — and some can be — I resort to a few choice colorful words, much to my wife's dismay. I added my number to the national do-not-call list in 2024 because I was overwhelmed by the numerous spam calls and texts from phone companies, individuals trying to buy my house, and people conducting political surveys. However, it seems that the calls and texts have gotten worse than ever. Here are just some of the spam text messages I received recently: 'The Fed warned that a recession may already be here. Unemployment is growing. Prices are still going up. The Republican budget will only make it worse, handing more tax breaks to billionaires while the rest of us worry about making ends meet. Is your family ready for a recession? -TS Stop to end' Recession Alert: Trump calls it 'an adjustment period.' His Treasury Secretary said there are 'no guarantees' we avoid recession. The Fed is worried. So is the Wall Street Journal. They know Trump's reckless tariffs will cripple small businesses, cost jobs, and raise prices for American Families. It's all part of the Republican plan to give mass tax breaks to the richest Americans while the rest of us try to make ends meet. Stop to End.' 'Hi James, if the 2025 midterm elections to Congress were held today, for which party would you vote? Republican B. Democrat C. Other D. Will not vote' 'Hi, James. We are reviewing properties in your area and are prepared to make you a generous offer on your property located at (address). Don't let the opportunity pass you by. There has never been a better time to sell your home.' 'Dear James, my name is Cindi, and I was wondering if you would be interested in selling your property at (address). If you're wondering how I got your information, it's all on public records. Don't feel like you're being targeted. If you're interested in selling your property, it will be a FAST and EASY transaction, because we can pay CASH!' I've also received robotexts from institutions that appeared legitimate but were ultimately scams. For example, on March 27, I got a message from E-ZPass claiming that I had an 'outstanding toll.' It text stated, 'If you fail to pay by March 30, 2025, you will face penalties or legal action.' The text included a link for more details. Officials have warned the public about this nationwide scam and advised against clicking on the link, as it could install malware on their devices. While the number of robocalls has decreased by 17% over the last three years, unwanted robotexts have tripled during the same period. This indicates that scammers are increasingly using unregulated texts, according to the Federal Trade Commission. You are likely receiving more robocalls as well, because 21% of Americans, or approximately 56 million people, lost money due to scam calls in 2023, according to Truecaller's U.S. Spam and Scam Report. According to the report, those who have been defrauded tend to be the segment of the community who can least afford a financial loss. While volumes have declined, the threat may have accelerated, according to the report. The report highlighted that during election cycles, Americans receive unprecedented levels of mobile targeting for calls and messages aimed at fundraising, influencing behavior, and, in many instances, enabling fraud by bad actors who exploit the commotion. Some of the key findings from the report: Black and Hispanic adults were twice as likely to report losing money due to robocalls and texts compared to white Americans. Artificial intelligence is increasingly utilized to make these scams sound more realistic. Individuals aged 18-44 are three times more likely to be targeted than older adults. Robocall and text scams have cost Americans $25.4 billion in losses. The primary question is: How can we, as consumers, protect ourselves from spam and safeguard our personal information? It's important to remember that not all robocalls or robotexts are spam. Some are automated messages, such as the reminder I receive from my dentist a few days before my appointment, or notifications when I'm late on a credit card payment — those are particularly frustrating. A story by my USA Today colleague Cody Godwin suggests that we should consider several steps to enhance our safety. Godwin recommends contacting your wireless provider to see which tools and solutions they offer that you can implement. Some may already be built into your device to block or flag spam calls. I've just learned this: you should also ensure that your caller ID is activated. You can register your phone number with the National Do Not Call Registry. Opinion: Here's what readers had to say about wake-enhanced boating on Wisconsin lakes While this is intended to prevent telemarketers from calling or texting you, we acknowledge that not everyone adheres to this rule. Although most people don't go this far, if the calls and texts continue, you can file a complaint online with the FTC or FCC. You can also call the FTC at 1-877-FTC-HELP or the FCC at 1-888-CALL-FCC. Another option is to download and activate a robocall blocking app. For extra protection, be smart and never give access to your bank information, Social Security numbers, mother's maiden names, passwords, or other identifying information in response to unexpected calls or if you are at all suspicious. If you answer the phone and the caller or recording asks you to press a button to stop receiving calls, simply hang up. Scammers use this trick to identify potential targets. While I desire stronger measures to combat the constant influx of unwanted robocalls and intrusive robotexts, I can't help but feel that the situation will only worsen. Therefore, it is up to us to stay alert and protect ourselves from unsolicited communications that buzz and ding from unknown numbers. It is essential to remain vigilant and protect our personal space and assets amid this growing digital chaos. Reach James E. Causey at jcausey@ follow him on X@jecausey. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Spam calls, texts can cost you money. Don't fall for them | Opinion
Globe and Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
FingerMotion, Inc. Reports FY 2025 Financial Results
Singapore, Singapore--(Newsfile Corp. - May 30, 2025) - FingerMotion, Inc. (NASDAQ: FNGR) (the "Company" or "FingerMotion"), a mobile services, data, and technology company, is pleased to report its financial results for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2025. To review the full financial results, please view the Company's recent 10-K filing at which should be read in connection with this news release. FY 2025 Financial Summary (results expressed in US$ unless otherwise indicated): Reported annual revenue of $35.61 million which was a decrease of $0.18 million or 0.5% compared to FY 2024 (includes Telecommunications Products & Services businesses, SMS & MMS, DaGe Platform, Command & Communication, and Big Data); Reported Year over Year annual decline in Telecommunications Products & Services business revenue of $5.59 million or 17% compared to FY 2024; Reported Year over Year annual growth in SMS & MMS business revenue of $5.52 million or 206% compared to FY 2024; Reported Year over Year annual decline in Big Data revenue of $0.39 million or 118% compared to FY 2024; Reported revenue from the DaGe Platform of $0.08 million in FY 2025; Reported revenue from Command & Communication ("C2 Platform") of $0.19 million in FY 2025; Reported gross profits of $2.76 million which was a decrease of $1.10 million or 28% compared to FY 2024; Reported annual cost of revenue of $32.84 million which was an increase of $0.91 million or 3% compared to FY 2024; Reported operating expenses of $8.71 million which was an increase of $1.03 million or 13% compared to FY 2024; Reported annual net loss of $5.11 million which was an increase of $1.30 million or 34% compared to FY 2024; Basic and Diluted loss per share of $0.09; At February 28, 2025, FingerMotion had $1.13 million in cash, a working capital surplus of $6.90 million and a positive shareholders' equity of $13.66 million; At February 28, 2025, total assets were $48.82 million, total current liabilities were $35.13 million and total liabilities were $35.16 million; and 57,141,186 common shares were issued and outstanding as of February 28, 2025. Strong revenue growth year over year in the SMS & MMS business highlighted our financial performance along with the successful generation of initial revenues from our DaGe Platform and C2 Platform. "I am pleased with the performance of our SMS & MMS business in fiscal 2025 and with our diversification and collaboration efforts in other jurisdictions, which is expected to assist in the growth of our business in the future," stated Martin Shen, CEO of FingerMotion. "Our Company remains committed to its growth strategy through the introduction of new platforms such as the DaGe Platform and the development and deployment of the C2 Platform, both of which contributed to revenues in fiscal 2025 and are expected to see substantial growth over the coming quarters. The focus on platform development will allow us to expand our customer base and diversify our offerings to enhance our market penetration in the industry. I am confident that our ability to execute on our strategy and maximize our business opportunities will strengthen our Company and add value to our shareholders." General and administrative expenses decreased by $137,710 or 2% during the year which was primarily attributable to minor reclassifications made during the year to align expense recognition with the appropriate reporting periods. Marketing costs increased $136,206 or 97% resulting from the promotion of the newly launched DaGe App platform. Research and development expenses decreased by $66,792 or 10% due to savings from data access and usage fees charged by the telecommunications companies. About FingerMotion, Inc. FingerMotion is an evolving technology company with a core competency in mobile payment and recharge platform solutions in China. As the user base of its primary business continues to grow, the Company is developing additional value-added technologies to market to its users. The vision of the Company is to rapidly grow the user base through organic means and have this growth develop into an ecosystem of users with high engagement rates utilizing its innovative applications. Developing a highly engaged ecosystem of users would strategically position the Company to onboard larger customer bases. FingerMotion eventually hopes to serve over 1 billion users in the China market and eventually expand the model to other regional markets. For more information on FingerMotion, visit: Safe Harbor Statement Except for the statements of historical fact contained herein, the information presented in this news release constitutes "forward-looking statements" as such term is used in applicable United States securities laws. These statements relate to analysis and other information that are based on forecasts or future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. Any other statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "estimates" or "intends", or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and should be viewed as "forward-looking statements". We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations about future events or performance. While we believe these expectations are reasonable, such forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. Our actual future results may differ materially from those discussed or implied in our forward-looking statements for various reasons. Factors that could contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: international, national and local general economic and market conditions; demographic changes; the ability of the Company to sustain, manage or forecast its growth; the ability of the Company to manage its VIE contracts; the ability of the Company to maintain its relationships and licenses in China; adverse publicity; competition and changes in the Chinese telecommunications market; fluctuations and difficulty in forecasting operating results; business disruptions, such as technological failures and/or cybersecurity breaches; and the other factors discussed in the Company's periodic reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on its website ( There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements contained in this news release and in any document referred to in this news release. The forward-looking statements included in this release are made only as of the date hereof. For forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Report Act of 1995. The Company assumes no obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of any offer to buy our securities.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
3 Profitable Stocks Showing Warning Signs
Not all profitable companies are built to last - some rely on outdated models or unsustainable advantages. Just because a business is in the green today doesn't mean it will thrive tomorrow. Profits are valuable, but they're not everything. At StockStory, we help you identify the companies that have real staying power. That said, here are three profitable companies to steer clear of and a few better alternatives. Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 18.4% Based in Long Island City, Altice USA (NYSE:ATUS) is a telecommunications company offering cable, internet, telephone, and television services across the United States. Why Do We Think ATUS Will Underperform? Demand for its offerings was relatively low as its number of broadband subscribers has underwhelmed Sales were less profitable over the last five years as its earnings per share fell by 27.4% annually, worse than its revenue declines Depletion of cash reserves could lead to a fundraising event that triggers shareholder dilution Altice's stock price of $2.32 implies a valuation ratio of 0.3x forward EV-to-EBITDA. Dive into our free research report to see why there are better opportunities than ATUS. Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 30.5% With almost 100% of its properties under franchise agreements, Choice Hotels (NYSE:CHH) is a hotel franchisor known for its diverse brand portfolio including Comfort Inn, Quality Inn, and Clarion. Why Do We Avoid CHH? Revenue per room has disappointed over the past two years due to weaker trends in its daily rates and occupancy levels Demand is forecasted to shrink as its estimated sales for the next 12 months are flat Waning returns on capital imply its previous profit engines are losing steam At $126.92 per share, Choice Hotels trades at 18.1x forward P/E. If you're considering CHH for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more. Trailing 12-Month GAAP Operating Margin: 13.9% With roots dating back to 1807 when Charles Wiley opened a small printing shop in Manhattan, John Wiley & Sons (NYSE:WLY) is a global academic publisher that provides scientific journals, books, digital courseware, and knowledge solutions for researchers, students, and professionals. Why Should You Dump WLY? Sales tumbled by 1.6% annually over the last five years, showing market trends are working against its favor during this cycle Earnings per share were flat over the last two years and fell short of the peer group average Free cash flow margin dropped by 4.3 percentage points over the last five years, implying the company became more capital intensive as competition picked up Wiley is trading at $39.30 per share, or 16.3x forward EV-to-EBITDA. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including WLY in your portfolio, it's free. Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election sent major indices to all-time highs, but stocks have retraced as investors debate the health of the economy and the potential impact of tariffs. While this leaves much uncertainty around 2025, a few companies are poised for long-term gains regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate, like our Top 5 Growth Stocks for this month. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Exlservice (+354% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free.
CNN
2 days ago
- Business
- CNN
New fiber optic cable in place to help fix communications problems plaguing flights to Newark, DOT says
A new fiber optic cable is now in place between Philadelphia and New York to improve air traffic control telecommunications at the facility that handles flights in and out of Newark Liberty International Airport, following a busy Memorial Day weekend, the Department of Transportation said Wednesday. 'That was the troubled portion of the line that's been laid,' Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said at a press conference. 'We're doing some of the connections right now, and then we have to test it. I don't want to over promise and under deliver.' Duffy said the Federal Aviation Administration is using 'an abundance of caution' with testing and hopes the fiber line will be in use by the start of July. Air traffic controllers in Philadelphia have repeatedly lost contact with Newark flights, including on April 28, when the existing cable failed, silencing radios for 30 seconds and blanking radar scopes for 90 seconds. Three more outages have occurred since then, CNN previously reported. The improvements come after the system survived a busy travel holiday. Less than 1% of flights were canceled throughout the US air travel system over the holiday period and less than 3% of flights were delayed, Acting Administrator of the FAA Chris Rocheleau said. The Transportation Security Administration screened more than 3 million people across the country on Friday at the start of the Memorial Day weekend. More than 2 million were screened on each of the other days. United Airlines reported the busiest Memorial Day weekend ever, with 553,000 people traveling worldwide each day. At the airline's key Newark hub, no departures were canceled on either Sunday or Monday, United said. Rocheleau added the agency will continue to work with the airlines and airport to slow traffic at Newark to ensure safety and avoid delays. Last week the FAA cut 25% of the flights there to help with congestion from understaffing and runway construction, as well as the aging air traffic control infrastructure and technology. 'We will continue to work with the airlines, with the airports to make sure that as we manage traffic, we do so safely and efficiently throughout the system,' Rocheleau said. Duffy is asking Congress to support a plan for a brand-new air traffic control system but has not put a price tag on it. He noted Wednesday that it will be higher than the $12.5 billion in a House bill currently being considered. 'It's a substantial piece of work and will take a substantial amount of money,' Duffy said.
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Business
- Al Arabiya
Elon Musk's Starlink and Lebanon in talks to begin working together
Elon Musk's Starlink and the Lebanese government are discussing making the internet service available in the country, Lebanon's presidency said on Thursday. President Joseph Aoun met with Starlink's Global Director of Licensing and Development, Sam Turner, and was briefed on the negotiations between the company and Lebanon's Telecommunications Ministry. Lebanon's Telecoms Minister Charles Hage also met with Aoun to update him on the progress, allowing Lebanon to become one of the 136 countries where the service is available. The Lebanese presidency said Turner presented Starlink's 'most prominent benefits in enhancing satellite internet service, which will positively impact the work of industrial, commercial, banking, and educational institutions, as well as government departments and institutions.' Lebanon is years behind in internet and telecommunications services and had been one of the most expensive countries to purchase mobile data plans. Years of corruption and wasteful spending led to a major deficit and public debt.
