Best Viewing Spots for 2025 Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks
The Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks returns to the East River in 2025. Here are the best viewing spots in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, intel about street closures, and more.
Scam Alert: One Ring Phone Calls
If you hear one ring or see a missed call from a number you don’t recognize, do not call back. The one ring phone call scam is back, and if you fall for it you be charged as much as $30, or even more. Here’s what you need to know.
5 Most Common Tax Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
April 15th will be here soon. The sooner you file, the sooner you can get a refund – except if you make mistakes on your return. Here are the five most common tax mistakes and how to avoid them. Use the correct tax form and filing status: Your filing status determines deductions, tax credits and
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Scam Alert: Can You Hear Me Phone Fraud
Scam alert: Thieves want to record your own voice to rip you off. Beware of callers who ask, Can you hear me? Are you a homeowner? Or another other question designed to make you say “yes”. It’s an old scam – it’s been around for a decade. While it never really went away, it’s back
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New Car Buying Tips: Avoid These Costly Extras
Save money by avoiding costly extras, such as extended warranties and paint protection, offered by dealers. According to Consumer Reports, many dealer add-ons are built into the vehicle by the manufacturer, so don’t pay for them twice.
Scam Alert: Emails From Airlines, Medicare, Microsoft & More
Welcome to 2025 and a barrage of suspect emails.I’ve been swamped so far this year with phony emails supposedly from American Airlines, Medicare and other health insurance providers, alerts that I’ve won a free seat cushion or tool set, another collection from senders who aren’t really FedEx, and several warning me – helpfully – that there’s a virus on my computer.
Scam Alert: Romance Frauds
Scammers and fraudsters know that online dating websites see a surge in sign-ups between New Year’s Day and Valentine’s Day, and the bad guys are busy trolling for lonely men and women, especially seniors living alone. Avoid these romance scams that will break your heart, even steal your life savings.
How to Help Victims of Los Angeles Fires
Thousands of people have lost their homes, businesses and jobs, in the devastation fires which ripped through Los Angeles and Southern California. Choose one of these top-rated local or national charities to support with a donation to help victims with life-saving food, water, clothing and medical services, and start the rebuilding, including roads and power lines.
Holiday Scam Alert: Check Your Order
Beware of the email or text scam that says “check your order”, “your order status”, “your order cannot be shipped” or something similar, from businesses you are likely to shop, including Walmart, Costco, Amazon, Target Walgreens, FedEx and NetFlix. Since more of us are ordering more online these days, it is more important than ever to be vigilant about responding to online orders, which could be a scam.
What We’re Reading This Week
There’s always more happening than we can report here on ecoXplorer. So here’s what we’ve been reading about travel, automotive, food, fraud and the environment that you might have missed, along with news about my hometown New York City – from publications you might not follow, but we do. We link only to intel that’s
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