Good morning. July moves at a pace I can't explain — too slow for the AC bill, too fast for the stack of books I said I'd read by August.
In this issue:
📰 The text scam that sounds like your bank
💡 10 websites to bookmark, a library card trick, and your Medicare Part B premium
📚 A Facebook guide worth revisiting
☕ My dad and the newspaper
📰 THE BIG STORY
I got a text last week that looked exactly like a fraud alert from my bank. Same formatting. Same tone. Same "reply YES or NO" prompt. It wasn't my bank.
These scam texts used to be easy to catch — bad grammar, weird spacing, a Nigerian prince somewhere in the mix. Not anymore. Scammers are using AI to generate messages with perfect grammar and realistic formatting. The FTC reports that text scam complaints jumped 37% in the first half of 2025. Why this matters: The old advice about watching for typos doesn't work when the scammer's software writes better than most people.
The most common formats right now: fake bank fraud alerts, fake Medicare notifications, fake delivery updates, and the one that hits hardest — the grandparent scam. That last one now uses AI voice cloning. They can call and sound like your actual grandchild asking for help.
The 10-second test: Stop. Don't click any links. Don't call any number in the message. Instead, call the real number — the one on the back of your card, on the website you type in yourself, or on your last paper statement. That one step catches almost everything.
If you've received a scam text, report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov or call 1-877-382-4357.
💡 WORTH KNOWING
🌐 10 websites every senior should bookmark. I bookmarked three of these and use them every week. Benefits finders, health tools, free learning platforms, brain games — it's a solid list of sites that are actually useful.
📚 Your library card is worth more than you think. Most public libraries now offer free e-books and audiobooks through the Libby app, free streaming through Kanopy (think Netflix, but free and with better documentaries), free digital magazines, and at many branches, free access to LinkedIn Learning courses. All you need is a library card, which is also free. Summer reading isn't just for kids.
💊 Medicare Part B is $185/month in 2025. That's up from $174.70 in 2024. Translation: About $10 more per month coming out of your Social Security check. If your income was over $103,000 (single) in 2023, you're paying even more through IRMAA (that's the income-based surcharge Medicare adds). Worth checking your premium at medicare.gov.
📚 FROM THE ARCHIVES
Facebook for Fun: A Senior's Go-To Guide — by Victoria Sinclair
If you're on Facebook — and let's be honest, most of us are — this guide shows you how to actually enjoy it instead of just scrolling past posts you didn't ask to see.
Victoria walks through everything from setting up your profile to finding groups that match your interests. She also covers the privacy settings you should check, because "public" isn't always what you want. With summer here, it's a great time to share photos, stay connected with family, and maybe join a group or two.
☕ SLICE OF LIFE
My dad reads the newspaper every morning cover to cover. Still the actual paper. He folds it in thirds, uses a ballpoint pen to circle things, and leaves it on the kitchen table like evidence. I asked him once why he won't read the news online. He said the internet is "too fast." I think he might be onto something.
Until next Tuesday,
Nino
P.S. If someone you know has gotten a suspicious text lately, forward this their way. And if you've got a scam story of your own, hit reply — I read every one.
