scams Archives - Media City Groove

Friday, July 10, 2026

By Fronnie Lewis Friday, July 10, 2026

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Unclaimed life insurance scams on the rise

SCAMS/Unclaimed Life Insurance— Unclaimed life insurance scams are making a comeback. Sadly, new victims are falling for the fraud. Some of them have reported the scam to the Federal Trade Commission. Here’s how the latest version works. The scammers impersonate lawyers. They send out random snail mail letters claiming one of their clients, with your last name, just died and […]

Friday, June 5, 2026

By Guest Contributor Friday, June 5, 2026

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City of Burbank issues scam alert

Burbank/Scam Alert— Scam Alert: Fraudulent Emails Requesting Payment SCAM ALERT: Beware of fraudulent emails claiming to be from the City and requesting payment. Before responding to any email requesting payment, remember: Official City of Burbank email addresses always end in @burbankca.gov The City will never request wire transfers or credit card info via email. If you receive a suspicious email […]

Wednesday, May 27, 2026

By Guest Contributor Wednesday, May 27, 2026

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Online party invites that look real but are scams

Scams/Online Party Invites— It’s graduation and summer party season. The FTC is getting reports about unexpected “You’re invited” texts and emails that are actually phishing scams. These fake invitations ask for your email login credentials or a special pass code to open them, but don’t do it. Learn how these phishing scams work and how to protect yourself if you […]

Tuesday, April 14, 2026

By Fronnie Lewis Tuesday, April 14, 2026

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Watch out for a new text scam

USA/New Text Scam— A text scam is trolling for victims, according to the Federal Trade Commission. The agency sent out a consumer alert today saying it has seen a spike in reports of a text scam involving a fake traffic violation. Here is the link to the official notice about the scam and what to do if you receive this […]

Friday, March 13, 2026

By Public News Service Friday, March 13, 2026

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Cyberscams cost Americans billions of dollars each year

USA/Cyberscams— Suzanne Potter, producer, California News Service, a bureau of Public News Service. Online scams cost American consumers an estimated $119 billion each year, and took more than $18 billion from Californians. Those are just two of the scary findings in “The Scam Economy,” a new report from a coalition of nonprofit groups called Consumer Federation of America. The […]

Saturday, January 24, 2026

By Public News Service Saturday, January 24, 2026

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Lookout for car dealer scams

Car Dealer Scams Suzanne Potter, producer, California News Service, a bureau of Public News Service. Experts in California consumer law are warning car buyers about “yo-yo” scams, in which people take the car home but are called back to the lot a few days later to sign new financing paperwork, often at a higher rate. Many buyers don’t realize […]

Sunday, December 14, 2025

By Guest Contributor Sunday, December 14, 2025

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Tech support scammers are getting more skillful at pretending to be legitimate

Tech Support Scams (StatePoint) Ever received an unexpected alert by text or email claiming there is a problem with your computer that the sender needs your help to fix? That could very well have been a tech support scam. Tech Support Scam Tactics The scammer impersonates an expert who may have more technical knowledge than you and pretends […]

Friday, September 26, 2025

By Public News Service Friday, September 26, 2025

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Watch out for deceptive Medicare offers

Suzanne Potter, producer, California News Service, a bureau of Public News Service. Experts on Medicare are warning of an onslaught of deceptive ads targeting older adults, as many prepare for the upcoming Medicare open enrollment period. Californians are getting lots of calls and postcards for Medicare Advantage plans. Many promise incentives, such as gift cards, or offer benefits […]

Friday, September 12, 2025

By Public News Service Friday, September 12, 2025

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CA bill to put the brakes on auto retail scams headed to the desk of Governor Newsom

Suzanne Potter, producer, California News Service, a bureau of Public News Service. You know how some car dealerships tell people one price to get them in the door, then jack it up with a bunch of add-ons? It would become illegal under a bill being considered in California. The Combating Auto Retail Scams Act has been approved by the legislature […]