Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week January 29 - February 2

It’s that time of year — tax time. It’s also a great time to get up to speed on tax-related scams. Here are two ways tax scammers might target you and what you can do about it:

Tax Identity Theft

This kind of identity theft happens when someone files a fake tax return using your personal information — like your Social Security number — to get a tax refund. Tax identity theft also happens when someone uses your Social Security number to get a job. You find out about it when you get a letter from the IRS saying:

·      more than one tax return was filed in your name, or

·      IRS records show wages from an employer you don’t know

If you get a letter like this, contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 800-908-4490.

IRS Imposter Scams

This time scammers aren’t pretending to be you — they’re posing as the IRS. They call you up saying you owe taxes, and threaten to arrest you if you don’t pay right away. They might know all or part of your Social Security number, and they can rig caller ID to make it look like the call is coming from Washington, DC – when it could be coming from anywhere. Leaving you no time to think, they tell you to put the money on a prepaid debit card and tell them the card number right away.

The real IRS won’t ask you to pay with prepaid debit cards or wire transfers, and won’t ask for a credit card number over the phone. When the IRS contacts people about unpaid taxes, they usually do it by mail. You can report IRS imposter scams to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) online or at 800-366-4484, and to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint.

Visit IdentityTheft.gov

IdentityTheft.gov is the federal government’s one-stop resource to help you report and recover from identity theft. You can report identity theft, get step-by-step advice, sample letters, and your FTC Identity Theft Affidavit. These resources will help you fix problems caused by the identity theft.

The FTC and its partners are hosting free webinars and Twitter chats to talk about tax identity theft, how to reduce your risk, and what to do if it happens to you.  Visit  ftc.gov/taxidentitytheft to learn how to participate.

January 24 is National Compliment Day

In today's world of social media and pressure to be perfect we often forget to be nice to others.  We have all experienced the feeling of receiving a compliment.  Our mood improves and we are better able to handle what comes our way during the day.  In addition, the giver also experiences a good feeling, from making others happy.

Below is some excerpts from The Art of the Compliment about giving and receiving compliments.

 

Compliments derive from taking notice of praiseworthy situations and efforts. So they are a mark of awareness and consciousness. We need to cultivate awareness of the good developments that are all around us.Once praiseworthy situations are noticed, the awareness needs to be spoken. Compliments are powerful in motivating behavior.   People strive to do more of what brings praise from others. 

 

Compliments work only if they are sincere reflections of what we think and if they are given freely and not coerced. Compliments backfire if they are not genuine. And faux flattery is usually highly transparent. A false compliment makes the speaker untrustworthy; it raises suspicions about motives. And that can undermine a whole relationship. 

The more specific they are, the better. "The way you handled that question at the meeting was brilliant. You really refocused the discussion onto our plans."  Compliments work best when they are forthright and not incidental. So you need to clear a little space for a compliment and deliver the praise as a statement. Compliments on appearance are fabulous for making people feel good and help put people at ease. But they don't work in situations where appearance isn't an issue. 

How a compliment is received can invalidate both the giver and the observation that inspired it.  Sadly, too many women discount compliments. Perhaps you've been in this situation yourself. Someone says, "Wow, you look great today." And you say, "oh, but I feel so fat (ugly) today." Or you get complimented on an outfit and you say, "Oh, this old thing, I've had it for years." Or someone says, "Hey, you gave a really good presentation." And you say, "oh, I just slapped some stuff together in five minutes." Such answers instantly suck the positivity out of the air and deflate the donor. They make the giver feel stupid for noticing and commenting on something so unworthy of praise. They totally invalidate the person's judgment. At the very least, they create social awkwardness.  There is only one way to receive a compliment—graciously, with a smile.

I challenge you to spend sometime on the 24th to be aware of what others are doing and give five compliments.

For more information on giving compliments, here is the complete article The Art of the Compliment

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Got the Winter Blues?, Change what you eat

We often focus our winter meals on heavy meals like comforting casseroles.   We often think that meals high in carbs makes us feel good because of the glucose boost.  But over the course of a day these types of meals will lead to blood sugar highs and lows.  Some new research looks at relationship of food to moods.

When looking at the quality of your diet, consider both foods to eat more of and those to limit. Observational studies show that healthy eating patterns that include plenty of nutrient-rich plant foods, such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains, and omega-3-rich foods, such as salmon and flax seeds, are associated with decreased risk of depression and anxiety.

On the other hand, a Western-style diet - rich in foods high in refined carbohydrates (sugar and white flour), highly processed foods and sugary beverages - is associated with increased risk of depression and anxiety.

Modi-Med Diet for Mood Improvements

Encouraged foods and recommended number of servings*:
Whole grains: 5-8 servings per day
Vegetables: 6 per day
Fruit: 3 per day
Low-fat, unsweetened dairy foods: 2-3 per day
Olive oil: 3 Tbsp per day
Raw unsalted nuts: 1 per day
Legumes: 3-4 per week
Fish: 2 or more per week
Lean red meat: 3-4 per week
Chicken/turkey: 2-3 per week
Eggs: up to 6 per week

Discouraged foods (limit to 3 per week):

Sweets, refined cereals, fried food, fast food, processed meats, sugary drinks and alcohol (red wine in moderation)

For more details check out this article from the Tuffs Health and Nutrition Newsletter

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Blocking Unwanted Calls

You put your numbers on the Do Not Call list, you are not answering calls from unknown area codes, you may even have gone as far as collecting numbers and filling out reports on the Do Not Call webpage and those unwanted calls just keep coming.  Now they are even coming from what looks like local numbers and the number changes, so call blocking does not help. Is there anything we can do to avoid these annoying calls?

If you answer the phone and hear a recorded message instead of a live person, it's a robocall.  Internet-powered phone systems have made it cheap and easy for scammers to make illegal sales robocalls from anywhere in the world.  It also lets them hide from law enforcement by displaying fake caller ID information. Here are a few options for blocking robocalls and other unwanted calls?

Download an App for your Mobile Phone

Call blocking apps let you create blacklists – lists of numbers to block from calling your cell phone. Many of these apps also create their own blacklist databases from numbers that have received significant consumer complaints.  They also let you create whitelists – numbers to allow – that are broader than just your personal contacts.  Some apps offer additional features: reverse call look up, providing data on incoming numbers, blocking unwanted texts, logging the number of calls received from a number, and silent ringers for unknown callers.  Many call-blocking apps are free or only cost a few dollars. However, some apps may upload your contact information, along with information about what numbers you call or call you. The app’s privacy policy should explain how it gets and uses your information.

Features Built Into Your Mobile Phone

Many mobile phones come equipped with features built into the device that can block calls from specific numbers. These features can let consumers block specific contacts, identify unwanted incoming calls for future blocking, and set “do not disturb” hours. You must manage these lists on your own, and the device may limit the number of calls you can block.  Since these features are built into the phone’s operating system or come pre-installed, you may not need to download an app unless you want some more sophisticated features, like tapping into a database of blacklisted numbers.

Cloud-Based Services

Cloud-based services can block unwanted calls for mobile phone lines or phone lines that operate over the internet, like phone service provided by a cable company. Your carrier may give you information about a cloud-based service operated by another company. The service might be a mobile app or a service that requires you to register your phone line. Cloud-based services reside on large, shared computer systems that can collect data from lots of users and use it to build crowd-sourced blacklists.

Call-Blocking Devices

Devices that block unwanted calls can be installed directly on a home phone. Some devices use blacklist databases of known spam numbers and allow you to add additional numbers to be blocked. Other blocking devices rely on you to manually create and update your own blacklist. Some devices divert the call after one ring. Other devices connect the unwanted caller to a recording with options that allow legitimate callers who were mistakenly blacklisted to ring through.  Some devices rely on a whitelist that limits incoming calls to approved numbers.  You’ll need to buy a call-blocking device, and not all devices work on all types of home phones and carriers.

Phone Service Provider

Check with your phone service carrier, they may offer services that can help you block types of calls, such as those that say private caller or anonymous.  Sometimes these services have a fee attached, so be sure to check.

If you receive harassing sales calls from live people write down as much information as you can and report that on the Do Not Call website, this has really helped slow the calls at our house.

Adapted from: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0548-blocking-unwanted-calls

Oatmeal Walnut Crisps

Are you suffering withdrawals from holiday sweets, but you have pledged to eat healthier?  These crisp cookies are just the answer.  A Healthy option for a sweet treat.


3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 pinch salt
1 egg or 2 egg whites
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped fine
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate
1 tsp vanilla extract 

Position rack in center of the oven; preheat to 400ºF.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk oats, flour, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl. Whisk egg whites, sugar, oil, and vanilla in large bowl. Add oat mixture; mix with rubber spatula until blended. Stir in walnuts. Drop batter by rounded teaspoonfuls, spacing mounds 4 inches apart, on prepared baking sheets. Use the back of a spoon to spread batter into 2- to 2 ½-inch rounds. Bake, one sheet at a time, until edges are just starting to turn golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Do not over bake. Immediately, slide a metal spatula under each cookie to loosen, then transfer to wire rack to cool. Continue until all the batter is used. Make sure that baking sheets are cool before spooning batter onto them. Store cookies in an airtight container. If cookies become soft, you can re-crisp them in a 350ºF-oven for 5 to 8 minutes. If desired, drizzle cookies with chocolate. Place in refrigerator for a few minutes to set the chocolate. Yield: about 30 cookies.

Per serving: Calories: 45 (50 with chocolate drizzle). Total fat: 3 grams (3.5 grams with chocolate drizzle). Saturated fat: 0 grams. Cholesterol: 0 milligrams. Sodium: 15 milligrams. Carbohydrates: 5 grams. Fiber: 0 grams. Protein: 1 gram. 

Variations: 
- Substitute 1 tsp freshly grated orange zest for cinnamon.
- Substitute 4 tsp minced crystallized ginger for cinnamon.
- Substitute finely chopped almonds, hazelnuts, or pecans for walnuts. 

Tip: To make larger cookies with a chewy texture, drop batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Do not spread batter. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Yield: about 12 cookies. Per serving: Calories: 120 (130 with chocolate drizzle). Total fat: 7 grams (8 grams with chocolate drizzle). Saturated fat: 0.5 grams (1 gram with chocolate drizzle). Cholesterol: 0 milligrams. Sodium: 45 milligrams. Carbohydrates: 11 grams (13 grams with chocolate drizzle): Fiber: 1 gram. Protein: 2 grams. 

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Prevent Diabetes

IF you have pre-diabetes, you may want to make your New Year's Resolution to prevent diabetes.  The Food and Health Communications Blog has these 5 tips for preventing diabetes.

Tips for Holiday Gift Returns from the FTC

If you’re like a lot of people, you got at least one gift this year that you didn’t want or can’t use. Before you head to the store or go online for a refund or exchange, the FTC has a few tips to help things go more smoothly.

• Check on return and exchange policies. You can usually find them on the back of sales/gift receipts, at the store, and on the seller’s website. Be aware: merchants often have different refund and return policies for sale items, especially clearance merchandise. For items purchased online, check to see if the seller has a storefront that lets you make in-person returns and exchanges.
• Bring your ID: Even if you have a receipt, some stores require a driver’s license or other government-issued ID.
• Take your receipts. Having the original receipt or a gift receipt usually makes things easier, and improves your chances of getting a full refund or exchange. Without a receipt, you’ll probably only get a store credit for the lowest recent sale price.
• Ask about fees: Some merchants charge a restocking fee — often 15 percent or more of the purchase price — for returns of electronics and big-ticket items.
• Keep items in their original packaging. Products like computer software and DVDs generally aren’t returnable once their packaging has been opened, unless they’re defective.
• Digital gifts. Refund and exchange policies for e-books, downloadable games, software, apps, and digital music and video services vary by seller. For example, some will exchange an e-book for a gift card, as long as you haven’t downloaded the book. Others require the purchaser to request refunds for e-books and music subscriptions. Most sellers generally don’t allow returns for downloadable games, software or apps.
• Ask to speak with a manager. If you have trouble returning or exchanging a gift, ask to speak with a manager or visit customer service.

Returning Holiday Gifts

Resetting After a Holiday Splurge

The Holiday's are over and now the guilt sets in as we step on the scale and remember all of the extra calories we ate during the season.  You are not alone.  Many of your friends are in the same boat.   Here are some tips for resetting and start eating healthier meals.


1. Stop the Shame Train
Shame and guilt are only going to make you feel worse. They are also bad motivators, and probably won’t motivate you to make healthy choices in the future. Remember that it’s okay to indulge every once in a while.

2. Get in Tune with Your Body
It may surprise you to learn that you may actually want the foods you restrict even more than if you were to allow yourself to have them.  Look for a mix of different foods, and get in tune with what foods your body wants to feel its best. Typically, a combination of fruits, vegetables, protein, dairy, whole grains, and an occasional sweet treat is your best bet for a healthy and sustainable eating plan.

3. Stop Thinking of Food as Good and Bad
It’s important to recognize that all foods can fit into a healthy eating style at all times of the year. Practicing intuitive and mindful eating by listening to your hunger cues, and appreciating the food you’re eating can help you eat portions that are satisfying without feeling deprived or too stuffed.
By focusing on your hunger cues and truly listening to what your body is craving, it should be easier for you to choose and savor the foods you eat.

Information for this article from the Food Insight Newsletter:
Resetting After a Holiday Splurge

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