DEAR READERS: It's possible that you will receive an email that starts out with: "We will not take responsibility starting today!" This is to get your attention by frightening you into believing that your computer has been invaded by viruses and that total strangers are stealing your personal information.
Beneath that in large red letters is the word: "Warning." And farther down the page is a notice that they have done a "partial scan of your device." It goes on to tell you that you need to renew your subscription to keep your device fully protected. Then there is a bar below, with the words "Protect Now" on it, that you are supposed to click on. However, do not click on anything in that email!
This is a scam. Think about it:
You didn't sign up for anything in the first place, so you don't need to renew anything.
Notice that they use the word "device" instead of computer, cellphone or tablet. They have no idea what kind of device you are using.
They mention a partial scan, but they didn't do a scan -- not even a partial one. They're just operating on your fear that someone is watching you.
This email might look official, but make sure to look at the return address. It's not from a government agency or any reliable source. The email address is often long with a bunch of gibberish. They do this to make it nearly impossible to trace them.
If you get an email like this, simply report it using one (or all) of the following addresses or phone numbers:
AARP Fraud Watch Helpline: (877) 908-3360
Report phishing at [email protected].
National Cyber Security Center: cyber-center.org
Federal Trade Commission: consumer.ftc.gov
DEAR HELOISE: I'd clean out my lower cabinets about once a year. Everything was removed and cleaned, and fresh shelf liner was applied. It wasn't uncommon for me to paint the bottom shelves because pots and pans caused scraping when they were pulled out. The shelf liner always bunched up, and it just got to be tiresome.
Finally, I bought some linoleum and lined all of my shelves. It's now so much easier to clean, and I don't have shelf liner getting pushed to the back of the cupboard or spilling out in the front. I no longer need to paint the shelves because the linoleum doesn't develop streak marks. I wish I'd done this years ago!
-- Betty M.,
Clarksdale, Miss.
Send a money- or time-saving hint to