Wrong Number Text Scams
Your Moment of Trust
A Podcast by BBB of the Tri-Counties: A BIG thank you to Ayers Automotive Repairs in Santa Barbara for Supporting this Podcast! Welcome to this week’s edition of Your Moment of Trust! A new text message scam seems so innocent that it’s tempting to reply. But con artists are using phony “wrong number” texts to lure victims into conversation and falling for a scam. How the scam works You receive a text that reads something like this: “Hey is this John? It’s Amanda. We chatted on Tinder before when I came to visit my cousin but we never met irl. I’m back in town if you want...
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How Much to Tip...
Your Moment of Trust
A Podcast by BBB of the Tri-Counties: http A BIG thank you to in Santa Barbara Welcome to this week’s edition of Your Moment of Trust! The end of the year is a time to show appreciation for those who provide necessary services and little luxuries in your daily life. But this year, the increased cost of goods and services means you may need to pay extra attention to your tipping budget. Even if you are limited in what you can give, there’s no need to feel uncomfortable. A little extra thoughtfulness can go a long way. Determining who to tip and how...
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Choosing the Perfect Gifts for your Pets
Your Moment of Trust
A Podcast by BBB of the Tri-Counties: https://www.bbb.org/local-bbb/bbb-of-the-tri-counties A BIG thank you to Ayers Automotive Repair for supporting this podcast! https://www.ayersrepairs.com Welcome to this week’s edition of Your Moment of Trust! Even with inflation worries this holiday season, most pet owners still plan on spoiling their fur babies with holiday gifts. According to a poll by Chewy in 2022 (Chewy is a BBB Accredited Business), more than 90% of pet owners include their pets on their holiday shopping list, and another study shows that giving to pets makes people happy....
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Sticking to your Holiday Budget
Your Moment of Trust
A Podcast by BBB of the Tri-Counties A BIG thank you to Ayers Automotive Repair for supporting this podcast. https://www.ayersrepairs.com Welcome to this week’s edition of Your Moment of Trust! Supply chain problems, shipping delays, and inflation can make it even tougher to create and stick to a budget during the holidays. This meansthat planning ahead and knowing your sp ending limits are more important than ever. How can you build a holiday budget that will cover buying for everyone on your list while keeping you out of debt? BBB recommends the following steps for...
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Sports Memorabilia Scams (Warnings from BBB)
Your Moment of Trust
Welcome to this week’s edition of Your Moment of Trust! When shopping for a team jersey or other sports memorabilia, Watch out for fakes. Scammers know that authentic game-used and/or autographed items can fetch big bucks – especially for items commemorating big games. When shopping online, it can be hard to trust that a seller or product is genuine. Follow these tips when buying sports memorabilia: “Game-used” items are highly sought after. Buyers prize items that saw action on the court or field as valuable parts of sports history. Consumers should be aware that there is a...
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BBB's Holiday Tips on Scoring Hard to Find Items
Your Moment of Trust
Welcome to this week’s edition of Your Moment of Trust! National experts are predicting an increase in spending this holiday season. There is also a concern if many of the items on consumers' holiday lists will be available on the shelf or online and are faced with the disappointing words: “Sorry, this item is currently out of stock.” That’s especially true when there are challenges with supply chains. But does that mean the words “out of stock” are the end of the line? Not at all. With a little determination and some creative thinking, the item might be found and purchased....
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Class Action Lawsuit Scams to Watch Out For!
Your Moment of Trust
A podcast by A BIG thank you to in Santa Barbara for supporting this podcast! Welcome to this week’s edition of Your Moment of Trust! You’ve likely heard ads on the TV or radio about the Camp Lejeune class action lawsuit for U.S. military veterans and their families exposed to tainted water at the camp. Marketing agencies and law firms spent over $40 million advertising the lawsuit. Now, scammers are jumping on board too, hoping all the media attention makes it easier to trick people, especially military personnel, into falling for common scam tactics. How the scam...
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Beware of Holiday Job Scams!
Your Moment of Trust
A Podcast by A BIG Thank you to for Supporting this Podcast Welcome to this week’s edition of Your Moment of Trust! Retailers and shippers traditionally hire seasonal workers to fulfill holiday shoppers' demands, whether online or in person. These jobs are a great way to make extra money, sometimes with the possibility of turning into a long-term employment opportunity. However, they are sometimes not all that they seem. When looking for something part-time or to fill the gap until a better opportunity comes, the Better Business Bureau has some suggestions to make the seasonal job...
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ZOMBIE DEBT...Don't Let it Come Back to HAUNT YOU!
Your Moment of Trust
A Podcast by BBB of the Tri-Counties: A BIG thank you to Ayers Automotive Repair in Santa Barbara, for supporting this podcast. Welcome to this week's edition of Your Moment of Trust! Zombie debt is defined as debt that has been “raised from the dead,” so to speak. It could even be something you never owed at all. When a person doesn’t pay a debt, the lender will take action – by phone, letter, or even a court case – to collect the money they are owed. In some cases, though, the debtor simply can’t pay or can’t be found. In other cases, the debtor files...
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Did you Make this Purchase? DON'T ANSWER THIS TEXT!
Your Moment of Trust
This Podcast is Brought to you by A BIG thank you to of Santa Barbara for supporting this podcast! Welcome to this week’s edition of Your Moment of Trust! One of scammers' favorite tactics is impersonating a person or organization you know and trust. That's the premise of this new text message scam, which has been popping up in recent BBB Scam Tracker reports. This time, con artists are impersonating your bank. How the scam works You receive a text message that looks like a fraud alert from your bank. It claims there is some unusual activity in your...
info_outlineA Podcast by BBB of the Tri-Counties: http s://www.bbb.org/local-bbb/bbb-of-the-tri-counties A BIG thank you to Ayers Automotive Repairs in Santa Barbara
Welcome to this week’s edition of Your Moment of Trust! The end of the year is a time to
show appreciation for those who provide necessary services and little luxuries in your
daily life. But this year, the increased cost of goods and services means you may need
to pay extra attention to your tipping budget. Even if you are limited in what you can
give, there’s no need to feel uncomfortable. A little extra thoughtfulness can go a long
way.
Determining who to tip and how much to give can be confusing. To avoid extra holiday
stress, BBB recommends the following tips to help you tip confidently while staying
within your budget.
Tips for holiday tipping
● Consider your budget. Begin planning your tips by looking over your holiday
budget, or creating one, if you haven’t already. Tips aren’t obligatory, so if you
don’t have the extra cash, consider other ways to show your gratitude. According
to the Emily Post Institute, homemade gifts or a simple thank you note are
perfectly acceptable ways to say “thank you” when funds are short.
● Start planning tips early. You don’t want to be scrambling through your purse to
find some extra cash when you see your regular delivery driver pull up. Once you
set your tipping budget, make a list of who you plan to tip and how much. Do this
as early as possible, keeping in mind that tipping before the holidays are officially
here means the recipient will have extra cash for holiday spending.
● Tip with cash when possible. Cash is usually the best way to give a tip. It
means the recipient has access to the funds right away and won’t have to pay
any fees to use the money. That said, if you regularly pay someone via an app
and want to tip that way, you can. Just make sure you include a brief note letting
them know the extra money is a tip for their excellent service.
● Make the tip attractive. For a classic tip, The Wall Street Journal says crisp bills
in an envelope that reads “Thank You” on the outside is ideal. You can even write
a brief thank you note to express your gratitude when appropriate.
● Tip according to the depth of your relationship. Match your tip amount to the
quality and quantity of work the person does for you. If you hire a babysitter
occasionally, an appropriate tip might be the equivalent of one evening’s pay. On
the other hand, if you have a live-in housekeeper, an entire week’s pay would be
suitable.
Know Who NOT to Tip:
Some professionals can’t accept tips because of ethical
reasons, including doctors, lawyers, and government officials. Some companies
don’t allow their employees to accept tips. Don’t be afraid to ask up front if a
professional or company employee can accept tips if you aren’t sure. When
appropriate, a gift is a good alternative.
Tipping by Profession
● Personal service providers. For hairdressers, massage therapists, or any other
personal-service provider you regularly tip, consider upping your tip amount
during the holiday season. If you usually tip 20%, make it 40%. Depending on
your budget, you may decide to tip them the cost of an entire visit. The same
goes for other service providers, like your dog walker or groomer. The equivalent
of one service makes for a generous end-of-the-year tip.
● Nannies, babysitters and caregivers. A similar rule applies to tipping childcare,
home health aides, and similar professions. Tipping the cost of a session, such
as an evening’s pay for a regular sitter, is considered standard. For a live-in
nanny, consider a bonus of up to a week’s wages. For those hired through a
service, make sure you check that they are allowed to accept tips before giving.
● Building staff. If you live in an apartment building, consider tipping cleaners,
superintendents, security, and concierges. Somewhere between $25 to $100
each is a good range for this kind of service.
● Mail and delivery service providers. U.S. Postal Service workers may not
accept gifts of cash or gift cards, but they can accept small gifts worth $20 or
less. Canada Post workers can accept nominal gifts worth no more than $100. In
both countries, FedEx and UPS employees are encouraged to decline cash gifts,
but they can accept small personal gifts when making a delivery.
● Professional service providers. Most professionals, such as teachers, doctors,
lawyers, etc., won’t accept cash gifts, so consider giving them a gift card or
present instead, with a note of thanks.
Until next time!