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Questions to Ask Before Paying Any Medical Bill 10/14/2020 12:00am • A single stay in the hospital can result in a bewildering array of bills covering a number of services and providers. Some statements may provide scant details to justify charges while others could include descriptions or codes that make little sense to the average person. The fundamental problem i Data Doctors: Beware of Facebook business manager scams 10/09/2020 06:22pm • Q: I’ve been contacted by someone claiming that they want to advertise on my Facebook business page and they sent me a business manager invite to get started. Is this legit or is this some type of scam? Scammers have long coveted Facebook business or fan pages and they have a variety of ways to How to Use Venmo, PayPal and Other Payment Apps More Wisely 10/07/2020 12:00am • When it comes to paying family and friends, people overwhelmingly prefer to use cash apps, according to a survey of 1,000 Americans by SMS marketing platform SimpleTexting. Six in 10 people prefer to use apps compared to only 8% who like to make these payments with cash. Bank and wire transfers and How SHIPs Can Help With Your Medicare Questions and Problems 10/02/2020 12:00am • Medicare can be complicated. It's easy to make mistakes when signing up that could result in lifelong penalties or coverage gaps, and people who lose their jobs after age 65 have an extra layer of complexity. Everyone on Medicare has the opportunity to choose a Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage 5 Signs of an IRS Tax Scam 09/08/2020 12:00am • The caller ID may say IRS, but you shouldn't assume it's a government agent you're speaking with on the phone. It could be a fraudster hoping to intimidate you into providing sensitive information or making a payment on a tax bill that doesn't exist. Common IRS scams include demanding Social Securi Survey: Majority of Parents Want High Schools to Teach Personal Finance 09/08/2020 12:00am • A late August survey from U.S. News & World Report shows that more than 83% of parents believe high schools don't do enough to help their kids become financially savvy. But that doesn't mean parents don't try to do their part to educate their children about money. When asked which money concept Data Doctors: Vishing is getting more popular, more sophisticated 08/27/2020 02:47pm • Q: What exactly is vishing? A: The term vishing refers to voice phishing scams, which have grown in popularity lately, since so many people are working from home during the pandemic. The most likely scam attempts you’ll face as an individual will be bank-related, as the scammers pose as some Another Check From the IRS? What to Know About Tax Refund Interest Payments 08/25/2020 12:00am • If you received a refund check from the IRS for filing your 2019 federal income tax returns, and you also received a stimulus check earlier this year, you may soon be three for three. That is, you may soon get the interest you are owed for receiving your federal tax refund later than usual. So if y 'Answer the call': Fairfax Co. urges residents to help out contact tracers 07/17/2020 01:53pm • Fairfax County, Virginia, is urging residents to pick up the phone as the health department ramps up contact tracing to fight the coronavirus. "For us to successfully box the virus in, we need everyone to respond to our calls and follow the instructions and guidance for staying home and away from Mystery packages from the same source baffle recipients 07/15/2020 05:03am • The mysterious "Panama" badge received in a shipment from a sender identified only as Jon. (Courtesy Judy Taub) Often, an unexpected package on your doorstep turns out to be a birthday present or a forgotten order on Amazon. But a former WTOP team member in D.C. got a strange shipment with no expl Centreville, Virginia man jailed in Spain was unwitting drug mule, US says 06/27/2020 04:08am • WASHINGTON (AP) — Victor Stemberger of Centreville, Virginia wasn't about to ignore the emails inviting him into a multimillion-dollar business opportunity, so he pitched himself as perfect for the job. In a way he was — but for all the wrong reasons. The 76-year-old Fairfax County man, whose Prince George's Co. looks to reopen June 1; more contact tracing in Md. 05/21/2020 04:37pm • Prince George's County, Maryland, is on its way to a modified reopening June 1, provided current coronavirus data trends continue, County Executive Angela Alsobrooks said Thursday. COVID-19 positivity rates, hospitalizations and deaths in the county have been declining, Alsobrooks' office said in US Attorney for Maryland warns of coronavirus fraudsters 03/20/2020 11:06am • If you see an offer for a coronavirus "vaccine" or "cure" that seems too good to be true — it is. That's the warning from the Maryland U.S. Attorney's office. The reason is simple: There is no coronavirus vaccine and there is no coronavirus cure. Not yet, anyway. Coronavirus scams are hap Md.'s attorney general warns against coronavirus-related scams 03/13/2020 10:09pm • Scam artists view the coronavirus outbreak as an opportunity to profit, so Maryland's attorney general is urging residents to think twice before providing private information online. "There are going to be people out there trying to steal your money, trying to steal your identity, and people have Data Doctors: Working remotely? Here are some best practices 03/13/2020 05:30pm • Q: I’m new to working remotely — any dos and don'ts that I should be aware of? The ability to work remotely has become easier and more efficient than ever, but there are some very important things to consider: What you’re using as your remote computer, where you're connecting from and the s