At least 20 states allow their residents to demand that data brokers delete their personal data, but typically consumers must file requests with individual data brokers. California has a centralized portal for requesting such opt-outs, at privacy.ca.gov/drop/. People also can change their mobile device settings to prevent tracking:
To turn off location tracking on an iPhone:
Go to “Settings” and enter “Location” into the search bar.
Click “Location Services.”
To turn off location tracking completely, click the “Location Services” toggle switch at the top of the screen to the off position.
Or, from the same “Location Services” screen, navigate through individual apps to turn off location access app by app.
To stop data brokers from tracking you:
Go to “Privacy & Security,” then “Tracking.”
Turn off “Allow Apps to Request to Track.”
To turn off location tracking on an Android:
Open the “Settings” app.
Scroll down and tap “Location.”
To turn off location tracking completely, toggle the switch next to the tab to the off position.
Click the “Close” button if given the option to turn on location again.
Or, from the same location settings screen, navigate through individual apps to turn off location access app by app.
Nearly 1 in 3 people who lost money last year were first contacted on social media. Scams that started on Facebook alone cost people more than texts and email combined. Here’s what’s landing:
The tell is always urgency. Slow down, hang up and call back using a number you know is real.
Meta launched Your Algorithm on Facebook, letting people describe what they want more or less of in Feeds and Reels. Changes are supposed to appear in real time, with follow-up questions and buttons to gauge interest under the three-dot menu.
Open Facebook > tap the three dots (•••) on any post or Reel > Select Your algorithm > add topics you want to see more or less of.
You can also tap Interested or Not interested on individual posts to fine-tune your feed.
Some everyday fixes need a computer step most people might skip:
Your car remembers you. Pair your phone, and it can store your contacts, call logs and favorite addresses. Wipe the memory before the vehicle leaves your hands.
Hold the fob right against the push-to-start button. Press the button wih the fob. A backup chip lets the car read it up close, no battery required.
Some cars use a special slot in the console instead. Check your owner's manual.
The FDA says this Class II recall could cause temporary or medically reversible harm; users should match product details against the agency's enforcement report.
By Anthony Thompson and USA TODAY October 2, 2026
Hundreds of thousands of bottles of eye drops sold under several brand names, including Walgreens, are being recalled because the products may not be sterile, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Sterling Pharmaceutical Services LLC, based in Dupo, Illinois, initiated the recall Aug. 20, 2026, according to an FDA enforcement report. The agency classified the recall as Class II on Sept. 21.
The recall includes nine products: lubricant eye drops, a hypertonicity eye solution and a nighttime eye ointment. Consumers should check the product name, lot number and expiration date to determine whether their product is affected.
Which Eye Drops Are Recalled?
The recall covers nine products and 747,844 units in total:
· Cameron Pharmaceuticals Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium 0.5% Eye Lubricant, 0.5 fl oz (15 mL): 19,284 bottles
· AvKare Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium Ophthalmic Solution 0.5%, Lubricant Eye Drops, 0.5 fluid-ounce bottles: 12,864 packs
· AvKare Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium Ophthalmic Solution 0.5%, Lubricant Eye Drops, two-count twin packs: 107,377 packs
· Reliable-1 Laboratories Sodium Chloride Hypertonicity Ophthalmic Solution, 5%, 0.5 fluid ounces (15 mL): 11,083 bottles
· Reliable-1 Laboratories Lubricating Tears, 0.5 fluid ounces (15 mL): 47,616 bottles
· Walgreens Lubricant Eye Drops, Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium 0.5%, 0.5 fluid-ounce bottles: 301,114 bottles
· Walgreens Lubricant Eye Drops, two-count twin packs: 199,600 packs
· TRP The Relief Products Gentle Eyes Lubricant Eye Drops, Carboxymethylcellulose sodium 0.5%: 14,538 bottles
· Major LubriFresh P.M. Nighttime Ointment, 0.125 ounces (3.5 g) tubes: 34,368 tubes
What Does a Class II Recall Mean?
The FDA says a Class II recall means exposure to or use of a recalled product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences, or the risk of serious consequences is remote. The recall concerns a lack of assurance that the products are sterile.
What Should Consumers Check?
The FDA’s enforcement report includes specific lot numbers and expiration dates for the affected products. Compare those details with the information on your eye-drop package to determine whether it is included in the recall. If it is, the FDA suggests stopping use immediately and speaking with a doctor.
USA TODAY contacted Sterling Pharmaceutical Services on Oct. 2 for comment but had not received a response at publication time.
Scammers Took $3.5 Billion by Posing As Someone You Trust. Social Media Let Them In
The ‘Medicare representative’ with a better plan
The ‘Social Security raise’ you have to verify
The ‘fraud department’ that wants you to move your money
The surprise refund from Amazon or another retailer
The celebrity who wants to make you rich
The government grant nobody applied for
If you already clicked or paid
Act fast. Call your bank or card company, change your passwords, and report the scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
If you handed over personal information, go to IdentityTheft.gov for a step-by-step recovery plan, and consider freezing your credit. If you’re worried about what a thief could do with your data, you can compare identity protection services in our Solutions Center.
Want the FTC to hear from you? Once its notice is published in the Federal Register, you’ll have 60 days to comment at Regulations.gov on whether the platforms should do more.
And for defenses that work even on your worst day, read “The Scam Defense That Works Even When You’re Tired, Sick or Distracted.”
Crooks are building fake bank websites that play dead. Check one directly, and it’s a blank page. Click it from a Google search, and it turns into a perfect copy of your bank’s login. These fakes jumped 40% in three months.
And Google made the “hover to check” trick useless on many results. You used to be able to hover your mouse over the link and look at the bottom corner of your screen to see where it really goes. Google broke that safeguard.
Some search results now pass through a Google redirect first. Hover over one, and the corner of your screen shows google.com/goto?url= followed by a string of gibberish. Not the bank. Not the store. Google. Google says it’s fighting “evolving forms of abuse.” It didn’t say which. My read: It’s about stopping companies from bulk-copying its search results. You got caught in the cross fire. You can’t check where a result leads before you click. Google still prints a website name above each result. That’s a label. The hover was your second opinion. Now you get one, and it’s Google’s.
Crooks game their way to the top of search results for phrases like “[bank name] login.” It works because that’s what you type when you’re in a hurry to pay a bill.
Here’s the sneaky part. Type the fake site’s address directly, and you get a dead, blank page. That’s what security scanners see, so they shrug and move on. Click it from a search result, and it turns into your bank’s login page. You type your password. They get your password.
The address looks close enough, your bank’s name with an odd ending like .ph.com. On a phone screen, you’d never notice.
A few minutes of research can save you many hours (and headaches) down the road.
By Lydia Mansel Published on September 24, 2026
Some travelers like to plan their trips very loosely, booking a flight and a few hotel nights and figuring out the rest after they land. Others who are more type A prefer to have their itinerary nailed down and every worst-case scenario accounted for. If you fall into the former category, you may want to read a new report from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on how to avoid travel scams—and then spend a bit more time on the research phase of your next trip.
But don’t worry: It’s an incredibly simple step that could help you avoid a potentially disastrous and expensive situation, and all you need is a smartphone (or computer) and access to the internet. “Look up the names of travel companies, hotels, rentals, and agents with the words ‘scam,’ ‘review,’ or ‘complaint,’” the agency shared on its website. “See what others say about them before you commit.”
If your search turns up one or two bad reviews, don’t immediately assume the travel hotel or organization is a scam. “Sometimes it can be hard to distinguish, but consumers can look for patterns of troubling complaint topics such as: unauthorized charges, unexpected fees, bookings falling through, unreachable customer support, or an inability to secure promised refunds or cancellations,” an FTC spokesperson told Travel + Leisure via email.
If you do happen to come across a Reddit thread or comment section filled with worrisome experiences, pause and set aside time to dive further into the topic before booking anything or sharing any personal information. “Research is just one tool to arm consumers and isn’t foolproof, but it can surface red flags,” the FTC spokesperson said. “Use trusted resources or type the company’s website directly into the browser, if you know it.”
The agency recommends taking a few additional steps if you have a feeling a hotel, travel agency, or rental company could be illegitimate. The website suggests seeing how recent the reviews are or looking for a “burst of reviews over a short period of time.”
You can also look at the profile of a reviewer, analyze their past review activity, and determine your level of trust. “You won’t always know if a reviewer got something—like a free product—in exchange for writing a review. But, on some websites, you’ll see a label or badge next to the review that tells you the reviewer got an incentive. How you weigh those reviews is up to you,” the FTC shares.
At the end of the day, it’s best to trust your gut—and do your own research—when it comes to travel scams.
Your refund, your balance, even your tax transcripts are now on your phone. So are the scammers hoping you download the wrong app.
Stacy Johnson CPA September 29, 2026 Best-Selling Author, Emmy Recipient, Personal Finance Expert Since 1981
After 15 years, the IRS has retired its IRS2Go app. In its place is a new app, simply called IRS, that does a lot more.
Announced Sept. 25, the free app lets you check your refund, see what you owe, make payments, read IRS notices, pull tax transcripts and get an Identity Protection PIN, all from your phone, according to the IRS.
“The new IRS app puts more services at taxpayers’ fingertips,” said IRS Chief Executive Officer Frank J. Bisignano.
But anything this convenient is also a gift to scammers, who’ll push look-alike apps and fake messages claiming to give you access to your IRS account.
Here are five things the real app can do, and one thing the IRS will never ask you for.
1. Track your refund, no sign-in required
You can check the status of your refund or an amended return. According to the IRS’s frequently asked questions, checking refund status still works without signing in.
If you used IRS2Go and have automatic updates turned on, you’ll get the new app through a normal update. Otherwise, download it only from the Apple App Store or Google Play, using the links at IRS.gov/app.
It works in English and Spanish, and it needs iOS 15.1 or Android 7.0 or later.
2. See what you owe and pay it
Sign in, and you can see your balance and payment history and make a payment.
The sign-in is the same secure login you use for your IRS Individual Online Account, and you enter your credentials in a separate secure browser window, not in the app itself, the IRS says.
If the balance is more than you can pay at once, don’t ignore it. The IRS offers payment plans, including a short-term plan of up to 180 days with no setup fee if you owe less than $100,000.
Interest and some penalties keep adding up until you pay in full, though. If you’re in over your head, you can explore tax debt relief options in our Solutions Center.
3. Read your IRS notices
The app shows select notices and letters the IRS has sent you. That’s more useful than it sounds.
When a letter shows up in your mailbox claiming to be from the IRS, you can check whether the real IRS has it on file. That’s one of the easiest ways to catch a fake.
4. Pull your tax transcripts
Need proof of income for a mortgage, a refinance or financial aid? You can access available tax records and transcripts in the app.
Transcripts are also handy for spotting identity theft. If income or a return shows up that you don’t recognize, you’ll know something’s wrong.
5. Get your IP PIN
An Identity Protection PIN is a six-digit number that stops anyone else from filing a tax return using your Social Security number. Anyone who can verify their identity can get one, and a new PIN is issued each year, according to the IRS.
If you’ve ever had your personal information exposed in a data breach, this is one of the best free protections you can get. Now it’s on your phone.
The one thing the IRS will never ask for
Your IP PIN — the IRS says it will never ask for it, and that calls, emails or texts asking for your IP PIN are scams.
More broadly, the IRS won’t ask for sensitive personal or financial information through an unsolicited text, email or pop-up message. So if a text or ad promises to activate your new IRS app, verify your account or release a refund, don’t tap it.
Instead, forward scam texts to 7726 (SPAM), and send phishing emails to phishing@irs.gov, the IRS says. We’ve covered why you should think twice before responding to IRS texts or emails.
The new app doesn’t replace IRS.gov, where forms and guidance still live. But for checking on your money, it’s a real upgrade. Just make sure the one you download came from the IRS.
RECOM is a 501(c)4 non-profit organization. PO Box 5548, Mesa AZ 85211
Contact us: info@recomaz.org Site Map Website Policies Privacy Policy
