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A senior citizen was about to be scammed out of $9,000. A Canadian bank teller saved the day.

"His biggest blessing is losing a couple of hundred and not thousands."

Photo Credit: Canva

A scammer on the computer. A senior citizen falls for it.

Scam artists have gotten more advanced when it comes to diabolically tricking people out of their money, especially senior citizens. And now with cryptocurrency, which is confusing to many and completely accessible online, there's an added layer of concern for the most vulnerable.

Which is why, more than ever, people need to be on the lookout for swindlers. Luckily, some really good folks are stepping up. On the subreddit r/scams, there are 1.6 million weekly visitors; time and time again, they help alert people to perpetual fraud.

One bank teller posted, "You all saved my customer today" and then told a heroic story about an elderly customer attempting to deposit a check.

"I had a customer come in today and he had a cheque that he wanted to deposit," the bank teller wrote. "Super normal, no red flags. He asked about how long the hold will be. Still, no red flags. Since we're in Canada and we celebrate Victoria Day, the banks are closed on Monday. So, his 5 business day hold will take us to May 21."

banks, bank teller, elderly, senior citizens, scams A bank teller dispenses money at a bank. www.flickr.com

Here's where things took a turn. "I told him that and he said he needs at least $9000 released right away," the bank teller added. "Now I'm even more curious and I asked why. He said he needs 10% to send to his crypto account so he can withdraw the $90,000 USD that his crypto account has generated."

Luckily, this bank teller's antenna went up. "Skeptical, I asked what account, how he opened it, the website—the whole ordeal," the bank teller wrote. "To my surprise, he told me. He clicked on a FACEBOOK AD and deposited a couple of $100 back a few months ago and now it's generated to $90,000 USD. But in order to get the $90,000—he needs to deposit $9,000."

"Yeah, no. I told him he's being scammed, grabbed my phone, and showed him the numerous crypto scams posted on reddit," the bank teller added. "I said his biggest blessing is losing a couple of $100 and not thousands."

There are over one hundred comments on this thread alone. One pointed out: "We all have a blind spot. In reality, most of us over fifty are hesitant to listen to our family members and neighbors. Stubborn. We think we are so smart, and gotta maintain that street cred. It took a nurse I had never met to get my attention about a health issue. It may take a bank employee to open my eyes about something like this. Thank you for diving into his problem."

This person noted how refreshing it was to see that the customer, who had truly gotten their hopes up, actually listened to the teller: "The biggest surprise here is that he actually listened and was willing to believe he'd been scammed. We see so many horror stories about people sticking their heads in the sand and refusing to accept reality, it's such a nice change of pace."

There are so many other stories that run the gamut of scams across every platform. One person told a harrowing story of their mother who got defrauded out of her entire retirement fund. The thread has over 500 comments of suggestions, as well as communal support.

@droidsavvy

Some have no idea about these 🫡

The good news is there are ways to combat these fraudsters. First, it's important to know what to look for.

The National Council on Aging (NCOA) recently posted the top five scams targeting seniors. These include "The Grandparent Scam," in which someone impersonates a grandchild asking for help, scams that appear to be loans from reputable banks, "tech support scams" (which I have personally fallen for), government scams asking for private information like Social Security numbers, and one of the most upsetting—the romance scam.

"As more people turn to online dating, con artists are seizing the opportunity," NCOA's Jessica Johnson wrote. "Romance scammers create fake social media profiles and use them to gain trust and steal money. In some cases, these scammers may be (or pretend to be) overseas. They may ask their victims to pay for visas, medical emergencies, and travel expenses to come to the U.S."

Johnson adds that as of two years ago, these scams have totaled well over one billion dollars in loss.

-Dr. Regina Koepp gives tips on scammers. www.youtube.com, Dr. Regina Koepp

As for what you can do? First, know—and let those in your life know—that if you get scammed, don't be embarrassed. Have consistent conversations about how clever these scammers have become and how common they are. Advise anyone who might be vulnerable to never give out important information to someone emailing or calling for it.

If it happens, contact local police, banks, and the Federal Trade Commission. Adult Protective Services also has resources on how to get started.

The FTC also posted these helpful tips:

  1. "Never transfer or send money to anyone, no matter who they say they are, in response to an unexpected call or message. Even if they say it’s to 'protect it.'"
  2. "Hang up and verify. Hang up the phone and call the company or agency directly using a phone number or website you know is real. Don’t trust what an unexpected caller says, and never use the phone number in a computer security pop-up or an unexpected text or email."
  3. "Block unwanted calls. Learn about your call blocking options to stop many of these scammers before they reach you."

The topic gained extra attention last year with the film Thelma, in which actress June Squibb plays a woman on a mission to recover her scammed money (her methods are not recommended, but the film, based loosely on a true story, is aces).

June Squibb stars in the movie Thlema. www.youtube.com, Magnolia Pictures

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From pest control to pet cremation, these 18 industries are surprisingly booming

These jobs aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

Photo credit: Canva

Would you work in these industries if you knew they'd provide security?

So many of us are either looking for extra easy ways to make income, or searching for more lucrative and secure career paths to pivot to altogether. But with so much "advancement" being thrown at us, it’s hard to know if a path we are considering will even be around long enough for us to pursue it, and which ones will go the way of the robots.

After all, according to a study from Microsoft, dozens of jobs are highly at risk of being replaced by AI, particularly those involving language, analysis, and communication, such as translators, historians, writers (rest assured…a bot did not write this piece…yet!).

However, when someone on Reddit asked, “What industry is booming way more than people think?” people gave a ton of insight into which jobs might have actual potential. Many prospects are in utilities—things to do with essential services like electricity, natural gas, water, etc.—which makes a lot of sense. But there are also some rather surprising niche sectors in there as well.

Of course, take this all with a grain of salt, but perhaps a quick scroll could provide you with some inspiration about thinking outside the box when it comes to making money moves.

Check out these surprisingly “booming” industries…

1. Wastewater treatment

“S*** doesn’t go away.”

“I work in the Civil Engineering industry. Wastewater treatment is not only a booming industry, but it’s insanely hard to find wastewater engineers! I think they’ve got like a .5% unemployment rate or something insane, maybe even lower.”

“Civil 3D designer here working on water projects. Between raw water pipelines and treatment facilities, I feel pretty damn secure in my career. Water always needs to be moved somewhere.”

“Environmental & Safety Director here. Can confirm. We pay wastewater operators very well in our company and they can be tough to come by!”

@mywowscotland What happens when you flush the 🚽? Claire is a Waste Water Treatment Operator and she shows what a day in her life looks like working for @scottishwater From testing samples to analysing data and, of course, feeding the fish, Claire shows how her job plays an important part in keeping our water safe. #careers #ScottishWater #ditl ♬ cool water - dayaway

2. Electricity storage

“Grid-scale battery storage, used to store excess electricity from wind and solar farms for use during peak demand. This industry is huge and is growing exponentially, especially as the cost of batteries continues to drop and demand increases.”

“I used to develop BESS systems [Battery Energy Storage Systems] for a renewables developer...We are in need of a lot of electrical & civil engineers, accountants, and people to build the damn things.”

“Energy, particularly electricity, due to AI demand. Electricity demand has been pretty slow and steady the past couple of decades due to better efficiency, but now AI has caused a huge spike.”

3. Data centers

“I worked for a utility company near Atlanta and all in just about 3-5 years the data centers became the largest load on electricity by a long shot. Before it was hospitals and shopping centers but the data centers started pulling WAY more load.”

“I work for a major transformer supplier as an engineer, and I design the pad-mounted ones. We are pumping out transformers as fast as we physically can, but our order backlog is so long that it is being measured in YEARS. Imagine ordering a PS5 and the projected shipping date is 2-4 years later.”

“Doing some data center work one day. Ask what the 8 smaller buildings outside are for, cuz they look like generator houses. They were way bigger than the mines, and there were 8 of them. The utility literally cannot supply them with enough power, so they’re just gonna make their own. Blew my mind.”


4. E-Commerce packaging

“Packaging in general with e-commerce. Problem is it’s almost at a commodity level, so it’s a price and cost over design and performance.”

5. Pest Control

“Pest control, quietly, has a 5-11% growth year over year."


@pestworld Is pest control the right career path for you? There is no experience needed. You can learn everything on the job! #pestcontroljobs #highschoolgraduation #careergoals #helppeople #entryleveljobs ♬ Where We've Been (Vocalese Only) - The Young Ebenezers

6. HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) Installation

“More areas where you used to get by just fine with an open window and a box fan are getting unbearably hot in the summers.”

“I’ve installed 3 for myself and a bunch for other, have the vacuum pump and the electrical needed is super easy too, but with a certification I can charge a lot more. I even use real wood trim to cover the line sets instead of that crap plastic.”

“Hand over fist money to be had in NYC doing that.”

- YouTube youtube.com

7. Creating mobile games

“$92.5 billion made in 2024, half of the entire video game industry.”

“The bored SAHM in her 40s that's spending money on Candy Crush when she wants a break from watching Bravo isn't going to take up console/PC gaming looking for something more complex and engaging, the simple phone screen game is plenty. Or the 8 year old that can get his hands on mom's credit card through her phone game but can't get his hands on a gaming PC.”

“94% of kids today prefer mobile for gaming compared to any console or PC.”

- YouTube youtube.com

8. Loneliness Remedies

"Any industry that fills the void left by having a partner and friends. People are lonelier than ever. So pets, porn, entertainment/distractions, dumb*** consumables (looking at you, labubu)."

9. Debt Collection

"I'm in the legal services industry related to debt collection. Bankruptcy filings are up double-digits each month, year over year. And they have been for approx. 12 out of the last 18 months. If you're a new attorney, it's a great field to get into because it's only getting busier and it's cyclical; Once this wave passes it'll be another 6 or 8 years and there's going to be another wave. Ride those waves to retirement!"

10. Pet cremation

“I never thought I'd do this because when my pets have died I've always just taken them to the veterinarian with my parents and idk what he does with them, but we lost our almost 15yo dog who belonged to my late mom so I thought it made sense to cremate him and spread his ashes in the same place we spread our mom's.”

“Just had to do this for the first time. It's awful, but I'm thankful to have something to hold instead of burying her”

- YouTube youtube.com

11. Any and all pet care, actually

“If you know how to source it you’ll make bank selling in western markets.”

“It’s catching on in the East, too. I went to a restaurant in downtown Tokyo and there were dogs in strollers and dresses all over. In fact, my baby’s stroller company makes doggy strollers. For over ¥80,000! ($550 USD). “

“People have so much information and most pet owners want their pet to live a long happy life and will spend on them. People didn’t used to care less, but the information and supplies just weren’t there. Despite the world going to shit in so many ways we’re in a golden age of pet ownership, and if anything the stress of life is making people more fixated on their animal companions as therapy and comfort creatures.”

@craftersclub.uk Making one of my best sellers 🐶 #sublimation #smallbusiness #petproducts #tutorial ♬ original sound - Crafters Club

12. Sports betting

“As a big sports fan, I can’t believe how out of control it’s become. 10 years ago, it felt like it was a niche thing that your weird uncle did; now, you cannot go anywhere that has sports and not have it be a massive point of discussion. A large group of people, mostly men, are completely incapable of watching a sport now without having money on something or yammering about their parlay.”

13. Making board games

“Plastic minis and war games. Seriously, Games Workshop [board game company] generates more revenue for the British economy than the entire fishing industry. It’s actually mad how much people will pay for that stuff when it’s so very cheap to make.”

14. Digital therapy

“Mental health and wellness technology, e.g., digital therapy apps, telepsychiatry, and wellness platforms.”

“Good one. I work for a behavioral health company that is fully telehealth…We book out several weeks with 40 full time providers.”

15. Selling secondhand clothes

“The second-hand clothing resale industry. Everyone talks about fast fashion, but Vinted and thrift stores are quietly driving a huge economy.”

@caroline.shops Replying to @AlternativeAmy some top tips on how to shift stuff on Vinted! 💰 💕 #vinted #vintedseller #vintedtips #vintedhacks #vintedhacksandtips #reselling #resellercommunity #makingmoneyonline ♬ original sound - CAROLINE | THE THRIFTER

16. …or secondhand cars…

“The used car market. I work on the back end in the commercial lending side for car dealerships. The tariffs (or threat of) on new cars have pushed used car prices towards ridiculous numbers. I occasionally show up at auctions to gauge market trends, and a 2017 VW Jetta with 133k miles hammered at $11k. Plus auction fees and transport, it’ll be $12k, and that’s before the dealer has done any repairs or made a dollar of profit. Pre-COVID, an 8-year-old Jetta would be $2k tops. But people keep paying it. My market share has risen about 40% since January.”

17. Storage Rentals

“We’re basically paying rent for our junk to live a better life than we do.”

“At my old company shortly after we'd all gone remote in 2020, a group of a few employees all quit at the same time to form a partnership and buy this little chain of storage units from an old guy who wanted to retire. Most of us thought they were insane for giving up great stable corporate careers to own some storage units. They're laughing at us now, in five years they've grown it several times over into one of the largest storage businesses in the metro area of millions of people.”

18. Mortuary Services

"Dead people. There are more dead people than ever."

"A family member is a Mortician by education, and though he has since retired out, he made great money doing it."

@retseleve #foryoupage #foryouofficial #mortician #embalmer #mortuaryschool #mortuaryscience #funeral ♬ Romantic Classical Piano Solo - FREDERIC BOUCHAL
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Dad swears by this money-saving alternative to 'stressful' AP classes

"Skip AP completely. Don't even bother.”

@imperfectdad/TikTok

This could save so much time and money.

On paper, AP classes, aka Advanced Placement courses, seem like a great opportunity to help teens get ahead. They get an early taste of college-level curriculum while earning college credit before high school ends, and therefore get advanced placement once actual college rolls around.

But one dad argues that in reality, they are a waste of time and money, and suggests a rather brilliant alternative:

“If you have a kid in high school, I'm going to tell you right now, do not put your kid in AP classes,” began content creator “Imperfect Dad” in a now-viral clip posted to TikTok.

@imperfectdad__ Save money on college, do dual enrollment not AP classes #college #money ♬ original sound - ImperfectDad | Husband | Life

“It's going to be a complete waste of their time, and you're going to stress them out for no reason,” he continued.

His advice? Instead, opt for dual enrollment at a nearby college.

While most high schools don’t advertise this option as much as they would for AP classes, Imperfect Dad explained that, “Your high school probably has a dual enrollment program with your local community college, meaning your kid can take college-level classes, and they will actually take over for some of their high school classes.”

There are a few advantages to this method, Imperfect Dad argues. One, there’s far less pressure than with AP classes (which many experts and AP survivors can attest to). Two, not every college accepts AP classes for credit, making the pressure even more unnecessary. Three, the amount of time and money saved is, as Imperfect Dad put it, “immeasurable.”

@imperfectdad__ Replying to @Erik Alvarez some of them were stressed! #college ♬ original sound - ImperfectDad | Husband | Life


He of course speaks from experience, as he initiated this strategy with his own daughter. In lieu of AP classes, she did dual enrollment, only attending one class, and racking up so many credits that now, one semester later, she’s starting her FIRST day of college as a junior.

“This first semester, she has one class. It's like a 2000-level class. And then everything else is right toward her major. You're going to save yourself a lot of money. Do the dual enrollment classes. Skip AP completely. Don't even bother,” Imperfect Dad concluded.

Down in the comments, thousands were inclined to agree. Many of whom chose this path and reaped the benefits.

“As an AP teacher…..this is pretty much true,”

“I did this. Got into UCLA and now have a Doctorate in Pharmacy,”

“My son is doing dual enrollment and graduating with an Associates and an HS diploma!”

There were also plenty of folks who shared their own horror stories of taking AP classes and now wishing they hadn’t.

“I took 6 AP classes in high school and not a single credit applied to my college transcript."

However, as useful as dual enrollment can be, it’s worth knowing some of the disadvantages as well. For example, some private and out-of-state colleges might be more stringent in their transfer policies, so it still behooves students to check. Second, if a student does not do well in a dual enrollment class, that grade will travel with them throughout their college career. Third, there might be some difficult travel logistics to contend with, depending on where the nearby community college is. Fourth, not every high school offers dual enrollment.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Still, many parents just like Imperfect Dad might find that the pros far outweigh the cons, which is why more parents and students should know about the option!

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Real people share 15 practical things they did to escape living paycheck to paycheck

"Be willing to accept that you might not be entitled to the lifestyle you have."

Image via Canva

People reveal their financial strategies for no longer living paycheck to paycheck.

Living paycheck to paycheck is becoming the norm in the United States. According to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, more than half of Americans live paycheck to paycheck. It is a financial reality that has many looking for financial solutions and frugal living habits to get ahead.

On Reddit, member @_DontStayTheSame_ posed the question: "How in the hell do you escape living paycheck to paycheck?"

People who have figured out how to successfully avoid living paycheck to paycheck chimed in. These are 15 of the best financial tips and advice they offered.

save money, saving money, paycheck to paycheck, frugal living, finances Money Invest GIF by Sara Dietschy Giphy

"Take everything I have done pre 35 and do the exact opposite. Only use your credit cards for things you will be able to pay off quickly. If you are buying a car and thinking "That is close but I can do it" for the payment, find a cheaper car. Do what you can to live below your means. If you are a smoker, quit." —User Unknown

"Living below your means is key." —@Orual309

"Better advice would be to find ways to improve your income but live below your means while you do so you can save up enough to improve your situation long term. Too many people raise their lifestyle with their income without ever taking the time to set themselves up for long term financial stability. That’s how you get people making six figures but somehow still living payday to payday. Obviously if you only make enough to survive until your next pay there’s nothing you can do financially to fix that, it has to be some other kind of change enabling you to make more money like going to school or just applying for better jobs." —@Sparcrypt

for shizzle, for real, money saving tips, save money, money advice Colin Jost Snl GIF by Saturday Night Live Giphy

"I might get some hate for this but... Live with your parents or only rent a room. Yes rent is expensive as hell and it sucks but sometimes you gotta suck it up and just get roommates. Easier to live with roommates than paycheck to paycheck in my opinion." —User Unknown

"Be willing to go back on lifestyle to fix your financial picture. Be willing to accept that you might not be entitled to the lifestyle you have. People think overspending means fancy cars, vacations, and expensive properties, but it doesn’t. It can mean buying a boring commuter car and a house. The baby steps are the first thing:

  • $1000 emergency savings, and a budget. Look back through your transactions for months to see what you actually spend, don’t just guess at your categories.
  • all consumer debt paid off. You should never be carrying a credit card balance. That’s a financial emergency, so if you are, save only $1000 for an emergency fund and put all else toward that debt.
  • 3-6 months of expenses saved in a savings account or no-risk investment with immediate liquidity (this is $15,000 for me, for 3 months, for example.)
  • minimum retirement targets met, most importantly taking any employer matching
  • invest for other goals like property, children, etc., depending on your needs

Once you’re there, you can use whatever is left over after those savings strategies and your expenses as a discretionary fund. A lot of folks spend discretionary before they have the baby steps accomplished, and it keeps them in debt and living pay check to paycheck, or waiting for that next big cash infusion from something like refinancing their house. The key is discipline. It’s tough, it really is. Seeing the 5 figure deposits to my bank account and knowing that it’s already spoken for can be tough because it’s tempting to want to spend it on a nice car (I’m a car enthusiast) or some other hobby thing, but I know I can’t do that." —User Unknown

car, financial advice, affordable car, car payment, cars dance dancing GIF by Real Canadian Superstore Giphy

"We are literally about to pay off two cars. Both payments total about $900 a month all together. I didn’t want two car payments at one time, but we both needed a more reliable car at the time. That’s not horrible for two car payments, but it’s going to free up $900 a month for us…. Which is amazing considering my wife is now stay-at-home with a baby. We have started cooking at home, avoid eating out at all costs, only drink home-brew coffee, use grocery points for cheaper gas. I’ve started taking my trash and recyclables to the dump myself, we have cut Live-TV and every streaming and subscription platform we don’t use at least once a day. We don’t, nor have we ever, lived paycheck to paycheck. It’s just nice to save money. The only thing we are splurging on now is a cleaning lady once every two weeks for $140." —@MockASonOfaShepherd

"For the TV and streaming, I do one service a month and my cell phone comes with Netflix as a perk. Each month I subscribe to one service for only one month, and watch everything I want on that service. When that ends I let it expire and don't renew. I switch to another one for the month and watch everything there. I get a new collection each month to binge and it doesn't cost me any extra unnecessary money." —User Unknown

"Also, learn to use Excel. Being able to visually see where your money goes, all at once, can make your spending make a lot more sense." —@valvilis

excel, excel spreadsheet, spreadsheet, budget, budgeting Heart Love GIF by Microsoft Cloud Giphy

"Just buy more money, it's not rocket calculus." —@faceeatingleopard

"This. Also don’t order out much. 1 fast food meal everyday of the week (depending on where you go) could have you spending an extra $100 a week that could’ve been spent at the grocery store instead. Learning to cook is cheaper than fast food easily." —User Unknown

"Meet people, work hard, get lucky. Marry someone who is financially reliable and life is half as expensive. Switch jobs every 3 years because your raises probably won't keep up with the market. Be mindful of your finances. Avoid credit card debt if you can." —@cavemanfitz

"Look into a career whose skill sets will always be in high demand. I pursued my Airframe & Powerplant Certificate. Now I can save and invest. It even made my income-earning ability Covid-proof. Yes, I got laid off a week and a half after starting a new job at a major airline. But 6 weeks later (thanks to my A&P), I got an even better-paying job as a Maintenance Technician at a 3M plant. I bought my first house in 2020. In 2022, I reapplied at that major airline and got hired as a contractor. I took a temporary, and minor, pay cut. Then I got hired direct 6 months later. I’m making a very good living and I’m able to travel the world. For the folks that say 'not everyone can do that'… I started this journey in 2016, making $12/hr at McDonald’s, and renting a room. So I’ve walked in the same shoes as many of the folks that say it’s impossible. No, I don’t have any kids. But I did graduate A&P school with a guy in his early 40’s with 3 kids. From day 1 of enrolling in A&P school up to this very day… I had to keep a strict budget." —User Unknown

budget, budgeting, smart money, money advice, finances finances gif Giphy

"I made a budget and update it every 3 months to see what it costs to run our family. My goal is to 'pay myself' each paycheck, which is considered savings. The budget generates two numbers. One for expenses plus luxuries, i.e. eating out, alcohol, hobbies, gym etc the other is my expenses without the luxuries in case I ever had to leave my job etc. By putting aside an amount each pay I've aimed and achieved saving 6 months worth of expenses without luxuries. Since doing that, I've then started to make additional payments to my superannuation account/ retirement fund that I can't touch until I retire. Since making the budget it's been an eye opener on where our money goes and how much we can save by cutting out stuff that isn't really worth it. It has also allowed my not so financially minded wife understand our position and gets her buy-in when we set targets for emergency savings or goals for buying stuff for the house or amounts for holidays. It's not full proof and we still have times where most of the pay goes out to expenses that can't be avoided like bills and rates that might all come in at once but its definitely made us feel more in control and enthusiastic about saving." —@CallSignVip3r

"You can't "save" your way out of poverty. Budgeting won't solve the problem. Those are just platitudes told to placate the masses. They empirically do not work, but the freak exceptions make good 'feel good' stories. Networking or advancement are the only ways out. Networking works best, advancement takes too long, and is far more probability-reliant. Beg everyone you've ever known for job opportunities. Be shameless." —@EmbarrassedVolume

"Rich parents, good health." —@Legitimate_Field_157

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