skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Saturday, February 8, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

January jobs report: Unemployment rate falls to 4%, wages rise more than forecast; Trump signs order imposing sanctions on International Criminal Court over investigations of Israel; Ten Commandments in public schools debate reaches South Dakota; Virginia ranks among worst states for wage theft; Mexican long-nosed bat makes appearance in Arizona.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Attorney General Pam Bondi strikes a Trump tone at the Justice Department, federal workers get more time to consider buyouts, and an unclassified email request from the White House worries CIA vets.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

During Black History Month, a new book shares how a unique partnership built 5,000 schools for Black students, anti-hunger advocates say ag communities would benefit from an expanded SNAP program, and Americans have $90 billion in unpaid medical bills.

PA residents warned to use caution to avoid scams during holidays

play audio
Play

Monday, November 11, 2024   

The FBI said Pennsylvania had more than 3,000 scam victims last year, with reported losses of more than $118 million.

The Federal Trade Commission said fraudsters use weather disasters, such as the recent hurricanes, to lure unsuspecting Pennsylvanians to shell out dollars to a fake charity. Con artists are also using technology to trick voters into donating to a bogus political cause or to spread false information.

Matt Schiltz, staff attorney for the Midwest regional office of the Federal Trade Commission in Chicago, said impostor scams are the most frequently reported type of fraud.

"Unfortunately, I've seen reports that people are using artificial intelligence to clone voices, or at least trying to, so the person calling may sound like a friend or a family member, or a famous person, a politician," Schiltz observed.

Older Americans reported losing more than $1.9 billion to fraud last year. According to the Federal Trade Commission, the actual loss could be as high as $62 billion, due to many cases going unreported.

Schiltz explained fraudsters create new, more persuasive scams by improvising on old ones. A recent scam is one in which a person posing as a bank employee contacts a potential victim and informs them they need to move their money into another account for protection against tampering or government seizure. Schiltz noted the agency is working on several different fronts to combat impostors.

"The FTC has a new impersonation rule that gives the agency stronger tools to combat the scams," Schiltz pointed out. "We actually brought our first case under the impersonation rule earlier this year."

Consumers are encouraged to visit FTC.gov/imposters to learn more about the different types of scams. Schiltz encouraged anyone with knowledge of a scam to contact the agency at ReportFraud.FTC.gov.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Opponents of a South Dakota bill that would require the Ten Commandments be posted in all public school classrooms say it would be an unfunded mandate. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

A South Dakota House committee takes up a controversial bill today that would require all school districts in the state to display the Ten Commandment…


play sound

Virginia ranks third behind only Maryland and Delaware among the worst states for the average amount of back wages companies owe to their workers…

Environment

play sound

Some North Dakota school districts are part of a movement that has embraced electric school buses, but the federal funding shakeup carried out by the …


Florida immigrant advocacy groups are intensifying efforts to help undocumented individuals navigate encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. (David Peinado/Pexels)

Social Issues

play sound

Immigrant advocates in Florida are ramping up efforts to help families navigate President Donald Trump's new immigration orders, which have increased …

Social Issues

play sound

The rate of U.S. high school seniors seeking higher education is on the upswing, according to research from Lumina Foundation. Although Hoosier …

Gov. Kathy Hochul's free community college proposal would apply to people pursuing first-time associate degrees for jobs in high-demand fields, including nursing, teaching, technology and engineering. (Adobe Stock)

play sound

New York State is making historic higher education investments. As part of the 2026 budget proposal, Gov. Kathy Hochul proposes free community …

Social Issues

play sound

Gov. Josh Shapiro's proposed state budget includes a significant increase for public education to address Pennsylvania's school funding issues and …

Social Issues

play sound

Alabama nonprofits are coming together to tackle challenges that may threaten their survival, from declining donor support to shifting federal …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021