People are reporting getting calls (and calls) (and more calls) about their supposed “loan application.” Only they hadn’t applied for a loan. So what’s going on?
When people don’t pick up, the callers leave messages saying the imaginary “loan application” is on hold because the business needs more information, so please call back. The calls seem urgent — and they’re persistent. People report getting calls in bursts of anywhere from five to even 20 a day, all from different numbers, all with the same story. But there never was a loan application. It’s a tactic that some dishonest companies are using to offer loans.
If you get a call like this:

• Don’t press a number to “unsubscribe.” That only lets the dishonest company know your number is good. Instead, just hang up.
• Use call blocking to stop calls before they reach you. Learn how at How to Block Unwanted Calls. For your mobile phone, find a list of call-blocking apps at ctia.org, a website for the U.S. wireless communications industry.
• Don’t give information to businesses you don’t know, even if they seem to know you. That could be a set up to get your personal information.
• Register your cell and home phone for free at the National Do Not Call Registry. Registration never expires and is designed to stop unwanted sales calls from companies that follow the law. But it doesn’t block calls and won’t stop calls from scammers — though the scam calls are a lot easier to spot if scammers are the main ones left calling to sell you something.

If you’ve gotten calls like these, report unwanted calls at DoNotCall.gov.

​Have you ever gotten a text or email warning you that something is wrong with an account online? Maybe it says your streaming account is about to be suspended unless you respond quickly. It might even have a link that will supposedly fix your account’s problems. The message looks real. But is it?
Your first instinct might be to click to solve your problems. Don’t click. There’s likely nothing wrong. Instead, it might be a phishing scam. That’s when scammers pose as well-known companies to get you to give up sensitive information via text or email. A phishing email might:

• say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts — they haven’t
• claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information — there isn’t
• say you need to confirm some personal or financial information — you don’t

While real companies might send you emails or text messages, they won’t do things like send a link to update your payment information. Only scammers do that. Even opening a link in an unexpected text or email can expose you to scammers — even if you don’t enter any sensitive info.
So, don’t click on any links in unexpected emails or texts. If you’re concerned, contact the company directly using a link you already use or a phone number you know is correct. And if you think you’ve given someone your Social Security, credit card, or bank account number, report it at IdentityTheft.gov and get a recovery plan. If you clicked on a link in an unexpected email, update your security software and run a scan to look for viruses and malware.
Then report the phishing scam. Tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, forward suspicious texts to SPAM (7726), and forward suspicious emails to [email protected].

​Scammers will say just about anything — in any language — to separate you from your hard-earned money. And when it comes to student loan forgiveness, they’ll target Spanish speakers with false promises of debt relief help.
The FTC just sued USA Student Debt Relief (USASDR) for advertising and signing up people for fake student loan forgiveness plans with super-low monthly payments. The FTC says USASDR targeted borrowers living in Puerto Rico by pretending to be affiliated with the Department of Education and posting fake testimonials and reviews online.
Instead of helping, USASDR pressured people to quickly sign a super-long, difficult-to-read contract (completely in English, even though the sales pitch was often in Spanish). Once you signed up, the company (illegally) billed you an upfront fee, and then started charging you monthly — payments you thought were going towards your loans (but weren’t). Instead, all the fees went into USASDR’s pockets.  To keep their scheme going, the FTC says USASDR sometimes changed the contact information in your FSA account so your (real) lender couldn’t reach you. 
Want to avoid student loan forgiveness scams? Here are some things to know:

• Scammers often lie and say they’re affiliated with the Department of Education. Make sure you’re working with a federal student loan servicer that’s listed on the Department of Education’s website. (And use the contact information listed there, too — scammers can spoof the numbers and names of legit servicers.)
• Scammers say they need your FSA ID login information. Never give out this information. If a scammer gets your FSA ID, they could cut you off from your loan servicer — or even steal your identity.
• Scammers will tell you to sign contracts in a language you don’t understand. You have a right to know what you’re paying for before a company charges you. Don’t sign a contract you don’t understand, whether or not it’s written in another language.

Get free help managing your federal loans at StudentAid.gov/repay. Got private loans? Go straight to your loan servicer for help.

​

• A new produce recall has several major retailers pulling vegetables from shelves.
• This is across 15 states over Listeria monocytogenes concerns.
• It includes retail packaged produce as well as those sold in bulk and by weight.

New produce recalls have several major retailers pulling vegetables from shelves in 15 states over contamination concerns.
The issue behind the produce recalls is that some vegetables may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. This can cause fatal illness in the young and elderly alongside severe short-term issues for healthy people.
Let’s break down those produce recalls below!
 
 
Produce Recalls 2024 Details
First up are retail packaged items sold at Walmart (NYSE:WMT) stores in CT, DE, IL, IN, KY, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, VA and WV. That includes the following:

• Wiers Farm Bagged Poblano – UPC 073064202581 – 16 ounce bag
• Wiers Farm Bagged Cubanelle – UPC 073064201836 – 16 oz bag
• Wiers Farm Bagged Green Beans – UPC 073064200846 – variable weight bag
• Wiers Farm Bagged Salad Cucumber – UPC 073064459619 – 2 pound bag
• Wiers Farm Bagged Serrano – UPC 073064201829 – 4 oz bag
• Wiers Farm Organic Bell Pepper – UPC 073064201416 – 2 count tray
• Wiers Farm Organic Cucumber – UPC 073064201423 – 2 count tray
• Wiers Farm Organic Yellow Squash – UPC 073064201447 – 2 count tray
• Wiers Farm Organic Zucchini Squash – UPC 073064201430 – 2 count tray

Also, these packaged goods were sold at Aldi stores in KY, NY, OH, PA and WV:

• Freshire Farms Bagged Green Beans – 16 oz bag
• Freshire Farms Bagged Jalapenos – 8 oz bag

Finally, the following items were sold in bulk or by weight at Walmart, Kroger (NYSE:KR) and Save-a-Lot stores.

• Anaheim peppers
• Cilantro sold in bunches
• Cubanelle peppers
• Whole cucumbers
• Green beans
• Green bell peppers
• Habanero peppers
• Hungarian Wax peppers
• Jalapeno peppers
• Mixed Vegetable boxes “shipped to Cleveland and Youngstown, Ohio Foodbanks only”
• Mustard greens sold in bunches
• Pickling cucumber
• Plain parsley sold in bunches
• Poblano peppers
• Serrano peppers
• Tomatillos

The produce included in these recalls comes from Wiers Farm. They were sold under the Wiers Farm and Freshire Farms brands.
 

If your new online friend or romantic interest says they have an emergency and need money, it might not mean they have bad luck. It’s more likely they’re a scammer trying to grab your money. So, how can you tell if an online “friend” is a fraud?
It’s hard to know who people really are when you meet them online. Scammers create fake profiles on social media, as well as game and dating sites. They might send you a friend request, start a conversation and friendship, chatting or texting daily. Surprisingly soon, they might say they’re in love with you. Then, suddenly, they’ll have an expensive emergency — a lost job, failed business, or sister who needs an operation — and appeal to you for gift cards, money transfers, even cryptocurrency.
Here are some sure signs you’re dealing with a romance scammer:

• They can’t meet you in person. It’s an early warning sign if they can’t meet because they’re outside the country on an oil rig, in the military, or with an international organization. Those are lies.
• They ask you for money. That’s always a scam. No matter the so-called emergency, they’re only trying to steal your money.
• They tell you how to send the money. Which is exactly what scammers do, focusing on ways to get your money quickly. Where it’s also hard for you to get it back. (Crypto, gift cards, wire transfer, payment apps…)

If you think someone is a scammer, cut off contact. Tell the social media platform, game site, and dating site, and then tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.