From stolen postal ‘arrow keys’ to hanging up the phone, here are some consumer tidbits

I was on vacation and did what every conscientious watchdog should do: I caught up on my reading. (I’m no fun.)
Much of what I read is watchdog-related. I pulled the most beneficial tidbits out of the pile of newspapers, magazines and other periodicals.
These tidbits are presented with the hope that at least some of them could save you time, money and aggravation. Here we go.
Did you know that when you get scammed and lose money, you might still have to pay a federal tax on it? This is especially true if the money you gave to scammers came from an individual retirement account.
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Doug Heller of the Consumer Federation of America says we should shop for lower car insurance premiums every year. If you recently retired and drive less, that alone could save you hundreds of dollars.
You don’t have to shop with the big companies that advertise heavily on TV. You can check out smaller companies’ records with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (content.naic.org/). Use their website’s search tool to get reports on a company’s complaints, financials and licensing.
Warning: One way scammers lure victims is by calling you and saying they are federal investigators and need your help catching scammers. “Let’s put your money in a safe place so they won’t get it,” they might say.
Some scammers might call you and pretend to work for the Central Intelligence Agency. The CIA doesn’t chase scammers, and it’s highly unlikely they’ll call you on the phone seeking your help.
Most scams that wipe out your life savings seem to start with a phone call from someone pretending to be from your bank, or a government investigator or even Amazon. They are all fake.
Often, they can fool you because they have detailed information about you, such as your bank account and how much money is in it. How do they know? You know all those data breaches? Your personal information may likely be for sale on the dark web.
The messaging app Telegram is a favored way to sell stolen goods. For example, stolen checks are for sale there. Crooks can “wash” the checks clean of ink and reuse them.
Can you get your money back from an overseas scam artist? It’s not impossible. Sometimes, U.S. law enforcement works with foreign authorities to capture the most wanted. Other times. U.S. authorities wait for a foreign scammer to leave his or her home country and go to another country that has an extradition treaty with that country, from where they can be arrested and sent to the U.S.
Did you sign up for a free trial of any kind of service and then forget that when the trial period ends you’ll be charged a much higher price? Best idea is this: Mark your calendar to show when the trial period ends.
This also applies to discounts for cable TV and satellite radio contracts. If you forget to call when your contract expires, you’ll pay a lot more. They’re counting on that. When you call, ask for the latest discounts, specials or whatever words the company uses to knock your rates back down.
A Canadian judge ruled last year that when negotiating a business deal, if one party texts a thumbs-up emoji to another party, that signifies the acceptance, like a signature, on an agreement in a business deal. The case is on appeal.
It’s not your imagination. Hailstones are getting larger. Hail was often one inch in diameter, but now, according to federal storm predictors, two-inch-wide stones are more likely to fall from the sky.
Artificial intelligence is coming to the latest versions of some smart phones. One supposed advantage is if you make a mistake doing a task like texting, the software will fix it for you.
Speaking of AI, it uses up to 2% of the Earth’s global data. That’s expected to grow to 10% by next year.
Your water bill is likely going to increase to pay for the cleanup of so-called “forever chemicals.” The cleanup cost across the U.S. could cost as much as $47 billion.
All your devices connected to your home internet setup (refrigerators?!) could be compromised if someone gains access to one of your devices and then gains access to your router. Your phones and computers could be affected. One solution: Make the network key for your router so long and detailed that it’s not worth the trouble to break it open. Mine is more than a dozen random letters and numbers.
Recently, I heard of something for the first time but decided not to write about it because it would help crooks. Turns out the U.S. Department of Justice posted a news release, so the word is out.
Some postal workers have what’s called an “arrow key.” The same key opens mail collection boxes. If you have the key, it’s easier to steal mail. That’s one reason I never place mail in outdoor collection boxes, preferring to mail inside a post office.
The Department of Justice says there’s a rise in arrow key robberies. Recently, three men who robbed a carrier at gunpoint in October were sentenced to lengthy prison terms.
Have you ever wondered why thieves like to steal medical records? The answer: Obtain drugs, file fake insurance claims and sell the data for hundreds of dollars.
The FBI collects hacking incidents through a website, ic3.gov. You have problems? File your complaint there.
Is your smart phone running out of storage space? To free it up, start by deleting videos, then duplicate photos.
Don’t use a phone number or email address sent to you via text or email from anyone you don’t know. That text saying you have a package waiting for delivery, but one you aren’t expecting: It’s fake. Used to be you could check Google for the phone number. But Google can be fooled, too. Use the number on your monthly bill or the back of your credit card.
Always remember that when answering a phone call that sounds like a possible scam, the all-time best advice is very simple: Hang up.