Better Business Bureau Reports Uptick in Subscription Scams

All Posts in "Month: June 2022"

Better Business Bureau Reports Uptick in Subscription Scams

‘Tis the season for summer subscription scams. The Better Business Bureau of Central Illinois is getting daily calls from individuals and businesses who are being targeted by subscription scammers, reports Central Illinois Proud. Among the subscription companies being impersonated are QuickBooks and Norton Anti-Lock. Victims typically receive bogus emails, with the scammers telling their victims that it is time for renewal, hoping they will pay up.

“Online retailers are always a top scam that we see here at BBB, so checking out a company before you do business with them can save you so much headache,” says Jessica Tharp, president and CEO of the Central Illinois branch of BBB.

Tharp’s advice is not to click on subscription renewal links or call the phone numbers listed in the emails. Instead, those who actually subscribe to those services can go directly to their online QuickBooks or Norton Anti-Lock accounts to verify

Tech Giants IBM and Microsoft Lay Off Hundreds of Employees in Russia

IBM is shutting down operations in Russia, while Microsoft is scaling down in the country.
Each of the companies is laying off hundreds of local employees.
Businesses are exiting or shrinking businesses in Russia after the country’s invasion of Ukraine.

Tech giants IBM and Microsoft are laying off hundreds of employees in Russia as companies continue to leave or scale down businesses in the country.

IBM suspended its Russian operations in March after the country invaded Ukraine, but employees were kept on the payroll. In a memo to staff on Tuesday, chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna announced an “orderly wind-down” of business in Russia. The local workforce will be laid off, he said.

“Our colleagues in Russia have, through no fault of their own, endured months of stress and uncertainty,” said Krishna. “We recognize that this news is difficult, and I want to assure them that

Comcast RISE to award $10,000 grants to 100 qualified small businesses in the Twin Cities

Sponsored content provided by Comcast

There’s more help on the horizon for small businesses in the Twin Cities that have been hit the hardest by the economic impact of COVID-19.

From June 1 through June 14, eligible minority- and women-owned businesses in Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington counties can apply for $10,000 grants as part of the Comcast RISE Investment Fund initiative. It’s an extension of Comcast RISE, which stands for representation, investment, strength and empowerment. The fund is for small firms that have been in business for three or more years with one to 25 employees.

This latest $5 million round of funding brings the total to $16 million in grants awarded as part of the initiative, which includes businesses in the Twin Cities, Atlanta, Detroit, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. A total of 100 grants per city, or 500 overall, will

CEO says restaurants ‘can’t compete’ with ‘virtual working’ trend

Sergio’s Restaurants president and CEO Carlos Gazitua details problems plaguing his industry amid the current economic climate.

Sergio’s Restaurants president and CEO Carlos Gazitua argued on Wednesday that the food and retail industries “can’t compete” with the new “virtual working” trend.

Speaking on “Cavuto: Coast to Coast” on Wednesday, he also noted that the new trend has forced his industry to “look at automation and robotics as a tool” to offset pressure.

The president and CEO of the restaurants serving up Cuban food in Florida stressed that the worker shortage coupled with the new trend has been bad for business and further complicates the situation.

“We’re still 1.5 million shy of a workforce since 2020,” Gazitua said, noting that he also can’t compete with the new remote work trend.

“We just can’t get the workforce back into our industry,” he stressed.

HIGH INFLATION COULD BE ‘PAINSTAKINGLY SLOW’ TO COME DOWN

Amazon Is Going After Google and Facebook With a Local Ad Business

Amazon is building a local ads business, according to job postings and company insiders.
Advertising has helped offset Amazon’s sluggish sales and inflationary costs.
The new arm could take aim at the advertisers that make up most of Google and Facebook’s ads business.

Amazon is going after local advertising in its latest move to expand its booming ad business.

Amazon has been advertising a handful of roles in cities like New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., to form a newly formed Local Ads team that would build relationships with local media companies and agencies. Amazon called the roles “a rare opportunity to join a start-up business with Amazon ads” that will “create a brand new business and revenue stream for Amazon Advertising.”

One listing, for a head of channel sales, is looking for someone able to manage relationships “which may be unconventional in nature, need a centralized advocate, and/or have