With the holiday shopping season on the horizon, consumer advocates and federal agencies are warning the public to be on the lookout for tell-tale signs of a scam.
Tom Lacock - associate state director with AARP Wyoming - said because people are sending packages at this time of year, scammers are separating people from their hard-earned money by posing as delivery officials.
"You'll see a fake text from somebody," said Lacock, "saying that they cannot deliver a package and in order to rectify the situation you need to click on a link that they're nice enough to send you. We recommend avoiding those links entirely."
To ensure your gift arrives intact, send tracking information and expected arrival dates to recipients, even if it might spoil the surprise.
If you are contacted, Lacock said call the company where you placed the order directly and ask if there are any problems. To keep others from falling victim, report incidents by calling the ElderWatch Help Line at (800) 222-4444.
In the first half of 2023, more than one million Americans lost $4.4 billion to scammers, according to Federal Trade Commission data.
Lois Greisman - associate director with the Federal Trade Commission Division of Marketing Practices - warned in a news briefing to Ethnic Media Services never send money to someone you don't know or trust, or who pressures you to pay immediately.
"Especially when somebody says 'I'm from the government, I'm from the IRS, I'm from the sheriff's office. I can send somebody to arrest you now,'" said Greisman. "They can be very persuasive."
Scammers also want you to pay using methods similar to cash, which are hard to trace and make it nearly impossible to get your money back.
Lacock said nobody legitimate will demand that you have to pay with gift cards, crypto currency or a wire transfer.
"Anytime someone asks you to pay with a gift card, that puts up really huge red flags," said Lacock. "Because that's an untraceable payment source that we know scammers like to use, and use quite a bit."
Disclosure: AARP Wyoming contributes to our fund for reporting on Civic Engagement, Consumer Issues, Health Issues, Senior Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest,
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This week, Ohio approved adult-use marijuana sales as part of a 2023 ballot measure, with sales anticipated to start mid-June.
Ohioans age 21 and over can now legally purchase marijuana across the state. In December, a law was enacted allowing people to grow and possess marijuana, but with no legal avenues to purchase it. Gov. Mike DeWine and some Republicans sought swift action to prevent black market sales.
Jim Canepa, cannabis control superintendent for the Ohio Department of Commerce, said after years of experience in liquor control, his role is to fairly and responsibly permit folks who grow, process, sell and test cannabis.
"My focus right now is really on coming up with the rules that are required and set forth, and the timeline set forth, in the initiated statute," Canepa explained. "They are June 7th to have the applications ready, and September 7th to start issuing permits."
The Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review approved the rules without objection, enabling a dual licensing program for existing medical marijuana dispensaries to also sell nonmedical cannabis products.
Ariane Kirkpatrick, CEO of the cannabis company Harvest of Ohio, said her dispensaries are ramping up to meet the anticipated demand.
"How are we going to do staffing?," Kirkpatrick asked. "We're looking at parking, so, at the different ordinances of the cities of where we're located, to make sure we have the proper parking. Looking at drive-through, because some of our locations might have been limited already as far as capacity."
The new legislation allows for people age 21 and older to buy and possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis, or 15 grams of cannabis extract, and the home cultivation of up to six plants for personal use and up to 12 plants with two or more adults in the household.
Reporting by Ohio News Connection in association with Media in the Public Interest and funded in part by the George Gund Foundation.
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Massachusetts residents struggling to pay high food prices are acquiring a growing amount of debt to pay their bills, according to a new report.
The Urban Institute found 60% of adults reported using credit cards to buy groceries but only 20% managed to pay the minimum monthly payment.
Kassandra Martinchek, senior research associate at the Urban Institute, said nearly 25% of families have dipped into savings to keep everyone fed.
"Some families are really struggling to even meet their basic needs and are taking riskier financial strategies that could leave them less capable to cope with a future financial shot," Martinchek pointed out. "Something like losing their job."
While U.S. inflation slowed last year, the average Massachusetts household continued to spend more than $270 a week on groceries with Boston ranking in the top 20 cities with the highest grocery prices.
The report shows adults with very low food security were also more likely to experience challenges in repaying their debt compared with those with less severe food hardship. For families taking advantage of "buy now, pay later" options, 37% reported missing payments on their loans.
Martinchek emphasized missed debt payments during a time of price hikes could have long-lasting effects.
"They could have constrained access to affordable credit options and struggle to take advantage of different wealth building opportunities," Martinchek noted.
Martinchek added it is especially the case for historically disadvantaged households. The report suggests policymakers strengthen social safety nets to help families as pandemic aid expires, and to bolster credit counseling and debt-management services.
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Ohio lawmakers are exploring ways to address the state's looming retirement crisis.
According to The Pew Charitable Trusts, if the personal retirement savings situation remains unchanged, Ohio could expect to see a more than $11 billion increase in state spending over the next two decades.
House Bill 501 would create a Joint Legislative Study Committee tasked with studying retirement options for small businesses and state-facilitated workplace programs to improve access to retirement savings.
Amy Milam, associate state director of outreach and advocacy for AARP Ohio, said people are more likely to save for their golden years when they can do so by having a percentage of their paycheck deducted.
"In Ohio, we have 42% of Ohio's private sector workers -- that's roughly 1.8 million people -- who do not have access to a retirement savings plan through their employer," Milam reported.
Nationwide, around 64% of Hispanic workers, and 45% of Asian American workers lack access to an employer-provided retirement plan. According to an AARP report, almost three of four workers with less than a high school diploma lack a work-based retirement plan, a much higher percentage than those with a bachelor's degree.
Milam added more than a dozen other states have created partnerships with employers to offer state-sponsored plans to give employees access to Individual Retirement Accounts.
"Giving employees a simple way to save for retirement on the job means that fewer Ohioans will need to rely on public assistance later in life," Milam emphasized. "Which will benefit the individual and will also benefit the state by saving taxpayer dollars."
In some states, investment companies have pushed back on state-sponsored plans, seeing them as competition. But a 2023 survey by AARP found 92% of Ohio business owners support legislation creating a public-private retirement savings option for workers.
Disclosure: AARP Ohio contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy and Priorities, Health Issues, and Senior Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest,
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