As he strolled the famous fairways of Augusta, Georgia, with “everybody that you’ve ever heard of playing golf,” Ned Entwisle of Wasilla was living his dream. He was more than 3,500 miles from home, a green “Alaska 2 Augusta” cap on his head. He was at the 2024 Masters — with VIP access.
As you head out for last-minute holiday shopping, leave the debit card at home. Consumer protection experts recommend using credit cards to protect against fraud and theft. With credit cards, you are liable for only up to $50 of fraudulent use, and most credit card companies will waive this fee. In the case of a lost or stolen debit card, financial losses to the consumer can be much more significant. Call your bank for details.
Are you buying gift cards this holiday season? Consider this. Thieves hit store gift card racks, secretly write down or scan the numbers off the cards, then check online or call the toll-free number to see if someone has bought the cards and activated them. As soon as a card is active, the scammers drain the funds. By the time your gift recipient tries to use the card, the money is long gone.
Scam artists set up fake websites offering anything you could want to buy as gifts around the holidays, at prices that are too-good-to-be-true. And guess what? They a re! You’ll never receive the gift you thought you bought, and the scammers could turn around and use your credit card information for their own purchases. Stick to well-known shopping sites, and always type in the web address, rather than clicking from a link to the retailer.
Thousands of older Alaskans stand to lose crucial assistance from a program that is due to expire in 2018. When the legislature convenes Jan. 16, AARP Alaska will be backing a bill to extend the state’s Senior Benefits Program, which provides cash assistance to more than 11,000 low-income Alaskans 65 and older.