5 WAYS TO DEAL WITH ANNOYING ROBOCALLS PROTECT YOUR IDENTITY AND KICK SCAMMERS TO THE CURB According to the latest data, scammers and telemarketers make 1,528 robocalls to Americans every single second . No wonder they’re driving us all crazy! Some of these calls are legitimate reminders about doctor’s appointments and payment plans, but around 55% of them are just nuisances — and we can’t rely on the government to stop them. If you’re sick of hearing about “your car’s extended warranty” or the “student loans” you paid off 40 years ago, try these five tips to cut down on robocalls and outwit scammers. 1. Explore your carrier’s free tools. AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon all offer services to cut down on scam calls. Some of them are free and/or come with your phone, but others you have to pay for or activate. If you have Verizon, for example, you can download the “Verizon Call Filter” app from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Visit your carrier’s website or call them to learn about the tools they offer. 2. Download an ad blocker. For extra protection, you can download a separate ad blocker from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Hiya is a free app that will give you caller ID and block spam calls, and Nomorobo is an award-winning option that’s free for landlines and costs $1.99 per month for cellphones. 3. When in doubt, let it ring out. If you don’t recognize the number calling, don’t answer. You can always call back if they leave a legitimate voicemail. 4. Suspect spam? Hang up. So, you accidentally answered a spam call. Whether it’s a person or a robot on the line, hang up immediately! Even saying your name or the word “yes” could set you up for identity theft. 5. Handle voicemails with care. If you get a suspicious voicemail, never call the number or visit the website given by the caller. Instead, Google the company or agency they claimed to be with and call that number. If the real agency has no idea about the call, you’ve just escaped a trap. By taking all five of these steps, you can protect yourself and your wallet from Ponzi schemes, identity thieves, and annoying telemarketers. For even more specific advice, visit AARP.com and search “The Definitive Guide to Reducing Robocalls.”
There’s one thing from the 9/11 terrorist attacks none of us will ever forget: the image of New Yorkers jumping hopelessly from the towers to escape the flames. It’s seared into our collective minds. But as a country, we’ve forgotten an earlier NYC disaster that drove people to the same extreme: the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire killed 146 garment workers and injured 78 more. Most of them were teenage girls working in unsafe conditions. They died because the doors to their floor were locked, trapping them in the flaming sweatshop. It’s a terrible story, but it had an incredibly positive legacy. Thanks to those girls, workers all over the country are now entitled to workers’ compensation if they’re injured on the job. Back in 1911, those protections didn’t exist! After the fire, New York City passed its first workers’ compensation laws in 1914. Then, a woman named Francis Perkins, who witnessed the fire, went on a crusade to improve the lives of workers all over the country. Eventually, President Franklin D. Roosevelt named her the Secretary of Labor! According to the Francis Perkins Center, she fought for basic protections like the 40-hour workweek, minimum wage, unemployment compensation, an end to child labor, workers’ compensation, and more. Today, the laws put in motion by the fire in 1911 help our team fight for clients injured in their Virginia workplaces. Employers here are obligated to compensate injured workers and buy workers’ compensation insurance to cover workplace injuries. That means if you’re hurt on the job, you’re likely entitled to money for your medical expenses and lost wages! We’ve come a long way since 1911, but workers’ compensation cases are still complicated. If we’ve helped you with one, you can thank the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire victims for their help. And if you’re facing down a case now, give us a call at (804) 823-2011. We can help you win the compensation you deserve. THANK THE VICTIMS OF THIS HISTORIC FIRE HAVE YOU BENEFITED FROM WORKERS’ COMPENSATION?
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