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.
AZ Secretary of State: Track your ballot like you track every game. Sign up for BallotTrax at www.Arizona.Vote to get a text when it's received and when it's counted.
iPhone, Pixel and Samsung Galaxy can record a phone call, transcribe it as you talk and hand you a transcript and some can do a summary with the next steps, right on the phone. Nothing to install, nothing to pay. The legal pad by the phone is officially retired. Steps below.
iPhone (iOS 18.1 and up)
On a call, tap the waveform icon in the top-left corner. A voice tells everyone, “This call is being recorded.” Hang up, and the audio and a full transcript are waiting in Notes. On an iPhone 15 Pro or newer with Apple Intelligence, tap the note for a summary.
In-person meeting? Open Notes, tap the paper clip, tap Record Audio. Same transcript, same summary.
Pixel 9 and 10 (not the A models)
Turn it on once. Phone app > three dots > Settings > Call Notes. On a call, tap Call Notes. The other side hears a notice. Afterward, you get the recording, a transcript and a summary with action items, and Google says all of it stays on your phone.
For meetings, the Recorder app transcribes live and summarizes on Pixel 8 and up.
Samsung Galaxy (One UI 7 and up)
On a call, three dots > Record call. Both sides get the announcement. When you hang up, open Phone > Recents, tap the call, then View recording and transcript. Samsung’s Voice Recorder app does the same for a meeting in the room.
Older Android? The free Google Recorder app transcribes meetings, but it won’t record calls. Put the call on speaker next to it, and you’re close enough.
The legal part
Twelve states require everyone on the call to agree to the recording: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Washington. The rest allow it if one person on the call (you) knows, like here in Arizona.
Here’s why the built-in tools matter: They all play that announcement, and they won’t let you shut it off. If the other person stays on the line after hearing it, that’s consent. If they say no, stop.
And if you’re calling into one of those 12 states, the strict rule applies no matter where you’re sitting. Don’t use a third-party app that skips the announcement. That’s how people end up on the wrong side of a wiretap law over a plumber’s quote.
3-second tech genius, instant lantern: Power’s out and your phone flashlight throws a skinny beam that lights up one spot. Turn on the flashlight, lay the phone face down, and set a clear plastic water bottle full of water right on top of the light. The water spreads the beam and glows like a lamp, filling the whole room with soft light. Hurricane season, camping, hotel blackout. Sorted.
The thought of becoming a victim of fraud or identity theft can be scary. Luckily, there are things you can do to help protect yourself to minimize the effects if your accounts are compromised.
Three easy steps you can take to help secure your accounts right now.
If you have not logged into your account online, do that! Register your account and choose a unique username and password if you haven’t already. Turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA). If your phone is lost or stolen, auto-lock features or "location tracking" services can help prevent unauthorized access and assist with recovery.
Reminder: This makes it harder for a fraudster to pretend to be you. If you don’t register with your username and your unique password, it is much easier for a fraudster to take over your account.
Provide your email addresses and phone numbers for security alerts. For banks, set alerts for withdrawals and deposits. For credit cards set the alerts to come to your email or text for every transaction that occurs. With alerts, if a fraudulent charge or withdrawal occurs you can do something about it right away instead of waiting for the statement to come in the mail.
Review security alerts immediately and if there is unauthorized or suspicious account activity and you believe one of your accounts has been compromised, immediately change your passwords, then contact the Customer service at your bank, credit card company, or other entity to assist you in securing your account.
Be sure to use a known phone number from the back of your card, or your actual statement, etc. Don’t trust an internet search.
Oops money, real trap:
Money you didn’t expect lands in your Venmo, Zelle or Cash App.
Then a text: “So sorry, sent that to the wrong person. Can you send it back?” Don’t.
The original payment is often stolen money. It gets reversed later, and the cash you “returned” is gone for good.
Don’t spend it, move it or share codes.
Contact the app or your bank through official support.
Story by Trisha Hendricks
If you've flown out of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, you've probably seen CLEAR, the technology that verifies your identity in seconds. Now that same kind of identity check is showing up at the closing table, where people sign over homes and move large sums of money.
Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company has partnered with CLEAR to verify buyers and sellers as part of the closing process, adding a layer of protection against fraud. "It actually utilizes the CLEAR that's at the airport," said Tonya Lively, vice president of Arizona national commercial operations and escrow operations manager at Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company in Phoenix. She said the company "has now partnered with CLEAR to make sure that we have the rightful owners of property that are transferring deeds at closing."
Lively said sellers take a selfie and upload a photo of their driver's license or passport, either through an app or in the title office. Buyers go through the same steps. The information is sent through CLEAR's verification process.
Once a person is verified, "we can proceed with closing that transaction, knowing that we've got the rightful seller and the rightful person to execute those documents," Lively said.
Arizona ranks sixth in the nation for money lost to scams and cybercrime, according to the FBI's 2025 Internet Crime Report. Arizonans reported losing more than $630 million in 2025 and filed nearly 29,000 complaints. The ranking is based on total dollars reported, not per capita.
Whitten said another threat is the fraudulent conveyance deed.
"A fraudulent conveyance deed is essentially somebody that does not own the property pretending that they are the owner of the property," Whitten said. "They're usually forging a signature and a lot of times also forging the notary."
The fraudster then files the deed so public records show the property in their name or in the name of a company they control, Whitten said. From there, the fraudster can sell it to an unsuspecting buyer.
"You have a seller who was an innocent bystander, had no idea what was going on, and they've got somebody else claiming that they own their home or their commercial property," Whitten said.
Verify wire instructions by phone. Lively said to call a trusted number and not the one in the email. "Use a Google search that's not just the phone number that's on that email," she said.
Be wary of mid-deal changes. "Wire instructions being changed in the middle of transaction is not common," Lively said.
Check the email address closely. Spoofed addresses can be off by "a dash that's being added, or an S that turns into a Z," she said.
Sign up for property alerts. Whitten said Arizona homeowners can "sign up to get alerts" when something is recorded against their property, whether it's "a fraudulent deed or somebody else gets a mortgage and puts it against your property." Then, he said, "at least you know about it as opposed to finding out about it five-plus years later."
Lean on your circle. Whitten said a good title company and an experienced agent or attorney help buyers know what's normal. "Don't be afraid to pick up the phone," he said.
Don't let excitement or pressure rush you. Whitten said fraudsters often push people to move quickly, and excited buyers and sellers can roll through red flags. Lively said a seller in a big hurry is a warning sign agents watch for.
"It's always better to pause and make sure it's correct," Lively said. She said she would rather see a one-day delay in interest "than be sending out hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars that are going to the wrong place."
Lively called the CLEAR partnership "the new standard" and said the company will keep adapting as fraudsters change tactics.
"We just don't want it to happen on our watch," Lively said. "So, whatever we can do to be preventative."
By Donna Fuscaldo, AARP, Updated August 28, 2026
1. Costco
What you can trade in: Cellphones, laptops, tablets, smartwatches, desktop computers and media players
How you’re paid: Digital gift card
Where: Visit Costco’s website and search for your device. You’ll get an instant quote based on the condition and market value. Print the prepaid shipping label or request a box with prepaid shipping supplies and packing instructions. Once Costco receives and inspects the device, it will issue you a Costco Digital Shop Card. Costco says the prepaid box or shipping materials, shipment to the inspection facility and delivery of the gift card generally take three to five business days each.
2. GameStop
What you can trade in: Video games, video game consoles, controllers, cellphones, tablets, wearables, MacBooks, Apple TV devices and other electronics
How you’re paid: Cash or trade credit, which can be used toward GameStop purchases and may qualify for promotional bonuses.
Where: Participating GameStop stores
Visit GameStop’s trade-in website to look up the estimated value of an eligible product before bringing it to a participating store. Customers may receive cash or trade credit toward purchases at GameStop. With the latter, customers may receive an additional promotional bonus for certain eligible purchases. These offers are separate from cash trades and are subject to specific terms.
3. Amazon
What you can trade in: E-readers, smart speakers, cellphones, media players, home security devices, tablets, wireless routers and video game consoles
How you’re paid: Gift card and additional discounts or rebates toward new Amazon devices
Where: Online and participating drop-off locations. Visit Amazon’s trade-in website, search for your device, answer a few questions about its condition and get your offer. You’ll have 45 days to ship your item for free or take it to a participating trade-in drop-off location. Amazon will determine the item’s final trade-in value within 20 business days after verifying the device’s condition.
Some qualifying trade-ins include a limited-time discount or rebate toward eligible Amazon devices, though the offer depends on the item returned and doesn’t apply to cellphones, video game consoles, accessories and games.
4. Best Buy
What you can trade in: Cellphones, headphones, tablets, e-readers, wearables, computers, computing accessories, gaming equipment, networking devices, smart-home products, cameras and certain health and wellness devices
How you’re paid: Best Buy gift card, credit back on a purchase or credit back on installment billing
Where: In-store or online. At Best Buy’s trade-in website, you can search for your gadget through several categories and get a price based on how you answer a handful of questions. Best Buy says product eligibility can change, so use its estimator to confirm that the specific item is actively accepted.
The electronics retailer does not accept certain trade-ins, such as devices that have suffered water damage or products that have been recalled. You have the option to either bring the device to a participating Best Buy store or mail it within 14 days.
5. Target
What you can trade in: Cellphones, tablets, wearables, MP3 players, video games, video game consoles, smart speakers and hearables
How you’re paid: E-gift card
Where: Online. Target’s electronics trade-in program is available online and provides Target e-gift cards for eligible devices. Search for your device, answer questions about its condition and Target will quote you a price. The trade-in offer is valid for 30 days. If you accept, Target will email you a prepaid shipping label and instructions for mailing your device. You must provide your own packing materials. Once the device is inspected, Target will issue you an e-gift card within seven business days.
Caveat: Target says the processing facility’s assessment is final. If the device’s evaluated condition differs from the condition reported when you requested the quote, the device cannot be returned to you.
6. Staples
What you can trade in: Working desktop computers, laptops, cellphones, smartwatches and tablets
Where: Online
Staples lets you trade in eligible working devices through its online Tech Trade program. First, select your device, answer a few questions and receive a quote, which is valid for 30 days. Staples provides a free shipping label. An e-gift card will be issued within three weeks after the equipment is received and its final value is determined.
7. Sam’s Club
What you can trade in: Smartphones only
How you’re paid: Sam’s Club e-gift card
Where: Participating Sam’s Club locations. The warehouse retailer’s trade-in program lets customers look up an eligible phone’s estimated value online, but the trade-in itself must be completed in person at a participating location. The program’s appraisal tool asks customers to identify the phone’s carrier, but the program’s information does not explain whether or how that selection affects the offer.
Payouts vary by device, and Sam’s Club issues the e-gift card within 30 days of when you accept the offer. To qualify, the phone has to power on and have an intact screen with no cracks or missing parts. It can’t be carrier locked, all passwords must be removed, and Find My iPhone needs to be turned off. Customers then have seven days from the in-store appraisal to ship the device.
Three steps to take before you trade in
Shop around. Trade-in offers can vary among retailers, so take a few minutes to get quotes online from several programs to find the best offer. Also, check the program’s return terms before shipping. Target, for example, says mailed devices cannot be returned if its processing facility’s evaluation differs from the original.
Back up your files. Don’t forget to back up media from the laptop, phone or tablet you’re trading in. This includes contacts, documents, important emails, notes, photos, videos and web bookmarks. You can save the files on an external hard drive or in an online cloud service. For phones, the Federal Trade Commission recommends removing SIM and SD cards, as well as unlinking accounts connected to the device.
Wipe your data clean. Before trading in a device, scrub all of your data to protect your personal information, such as bank account numbers, financial data and password lists. On a phone, restore or reset the device to erase contacts, messages, photos, videos and browsing information after backing up what you need.
When a device isn't eligible for trade-in, don’t put lithium-ion batteries or devices containing them in household garbage or recycle bins. Instead, take it to an appropriate battery or electronics recycling location, the Environmental Protection Agency recommends.
Protect your property from deed fraud.
The Early Real Estate Sales Alert System notifies you when an escrow officer enters pending real estate sales information into the alert system and enables you to notify the Department should you believe the sale to be fraudulent. Register your property for free in minutes.
It is very helpful to have your Assessor's Parcel Number (APN) so you don't have to fill in all the details on the form. Click link below:
Secure your Deed
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