Misc Visuals
How to Avoid Scams in 2025
Americans will collectively lose over $2 billion to scams this year. As technology advances, scammers and fraudsters use more sophisticated tactics that are harder for victims to identify and avoid. The team at Ooma created a list of up-to-date tips and methods to prevent fraud and scams via email, text, phone, and Internet messages. With proper prevention and education, people can avoid falling into a scammer’s trap. One in three people who have reported fraud lost money as a result, so the team’s advice can help people avoid getting too far into a scammer’s trap if they don’t prevent them entirely.
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Phone calls and text messages can be very tricky. Many people have caught on to the practice of avoiding calls from unknown area codes. Lately, scammers have taken advantage of neighborhood spoofing. They use a familiar area code so the people they call are more likely to think it’s someone they know and answer.
Ooma offers these tips for avoiding and navigating scams via the phone:
- Despite number spoofing, you should still avoid answering unknown calls, as answering lets the scammer know your number is active.
- Never share sensitive information like your full Social Security number over the phone. A legitimate company will never request this.
- If the caller starts pressuring you to do something like send money or share information urgently, you can assume they’re a scammer and don’t feel guilty about hanging up the phone.
- Don’t click on links sent through text. It can lead to malware.
- Never act on requests to send money through unusual means like gift cards or cryptocurrency.
- Use spam filters and call-blockers to limit the messages you receive.
- Report spam numbers to your carrier.
Email scams can be just as malicious and difficult to detect, even after getting past malware protection and spam blockers. Here are some of the team’s tips for avoiding email scams:
- Go directly to a website’s domain rather than click on links in unsolicited emails.
- Check the sender’s full address and look out for signs that the address was spoofed.
- Hover your mouse over links to make sure they’re legitimate. Malware domains often include spammy nonsense in their names or names that don’t match the alleged sender.
- Use two-factor authentication on email and logins.
- Make sure your software’s malware protection is up to date.
- If you aren’t sure how to handle a phishing scheme once you’re ensnared, practice with emulators that can help you learn what to say and do.
- Be aware that scammers sound more legitimate these days thanks to the power of AI.
- Have a plan in place for what to do in the event of falling victim to a scam. You should change your passwords and contact your bank immediately.
Ooma’s steps can’t completely eliminate the possibility of fraud, but they are strong best practices to prevent encountering scammers and to deal with them if they contact you. If you follow these steps carefully, you’re very unlikely to lose money to a scam.
When you visit a mattress store or browse through mattress options online, there are a lot of choices that make us feel like we’re choosing from dozens of options from a wide variety of companies. But this choice is an illusion, as a handful of corporations actually own these brands and control large portions of the mattress and bedding industries. The team at NapLab breaks down ownership of the most recognizable mattress companies. Their work shows us that brand diversity is often a mask for a limited corporate structure.
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One of the biggest shareholders of the mattress industry is Somnigroup International. They used be called Tempur Sealy International, a name you probably recognize. What you might not realize is that this company owns brands like Tempur-Pedic, Sealy, Stearns & Foster, Sherwood Bedding, and Sleepy’s. They also own the entire extensive Mattress Firm retail store network. This makes Somnigroup International a powerful driving force in mattress sales and distribution.
Another big player in the industry is Serta Simmons Bedding LLC (SSB). They own classic brand names like Simmons, Serta, Beautyrest, and Tuft & Needle. SSB has had its share of financial challenges, including filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2023, but it still continues to own a significant share of the American mattress market.
Not all these owners are giant manufacturers. Ashley Global Retail is best known for furniture, but it entered the mattress market when it acquired the Resident Home family of brands, which includes Nectar, Awara, Siena, DreamCloud, and Ashley Sleep. These options encompass both luxury and budget-friendly mattress brands.
3Z Brands is a key player in the direct-to-consumer mattress sales space. They own the brands Helix Sleep, Bear, Brooklyn Bedding, Leesa, and Nolah. These brands represent the share of shoppers who prefer buying a mattress online rather than dealing with retailers and sales representatives.
Saatva Inc. used to focus solely on selling luxury mattresses online, but in 2023, it merged with Bedding Industries of America. The merger added other brands to their roster, including Eclipse, Millbrook, Ernest Hemingway, and Eastman House, in addition to Saatva’s name brand of products.
We also see some international companies represented here. GoodMorning.com, formerly known as Novosbed, is a Canadian company that primarily sells to the U.S. market, encompassing the brands Octave, Juno, Douglas, and Logan & Cove.
The Flex Bedding Group is Spanish-owned and sells luxury and niche products to Americans, including the high-end brands Marshall Mattress, E.S. Kluft & Co., Kluft, Aireloom, and Vispring.
Understanding which companies own these mattress brands helps consumers make informed choices. It also helps us understand that brands might appear vastly different, but in reality, they’re under the same corporate umbrella, which influences everything from pricing to marketing to manufacturing.
This brand consolidation isn’t any different from many other industries, like beer and skincare, but it does raise consumer concerns about true choice and industry competition.
A new article from Ooma examines the facts surrounding Americans’ decision to abandon cable television and landline phones in favor of Internet-based and wireless alternatives. This study illustrates a changing landscape in how people connect with one another and consume media. The piece includes a colorful list of 30 key statistics that illustrate the technological revolutions and cultural shifts shaping the world of communications and entertainment.
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One of the most striking findings is the decline in landline phones. These were once a staple found in nearly every American home, but landlines are disappearing. By the end of 2024, only 1% of adults had a landline in their home. That’s 78.7% of adults and 86.9% of children living in a wireless-only household. They have cut the telephone cord and rely on cell service and Internet-based calls.
The article provides evidence that traditional cable TV is in trouble as well. As of 2025, 56 million households, or 45%, had cut the cord, meaning they no longer use cable, satellite, or traditional paid TV services. An additional 12% of American households are “cord-nevers,” meaning they’ve never had these services to begin with. That means over half of Americans don’t use cable.
Swaths of users are cutting the cable cord. 5.7 million cable subscribers canceled their TV services in 2024. Their main motivator was the cost of cable. 73% of cord-cutters said cable is too expensive to continue. Six of the nine major cable companies have increased their broadcast fees by 12.8% on average, which adds around $21.48 to monthly bills. Cord-cutters save about $1,000 each year by canceling cable and satellite services and sticking with broadband.
So, what replaced these cable services? Over half of Americans say they watch streaming services. 65% of these users say they’re very likely to continue using streaming services next year. The top streamer is Netflix. 72% of Americans say they’ve watched Netflix content, followed by Amazon Prime Video at 67%, then Hulu at 52%. Industry data reports that streaming surpassed cable and broadcast viewership in 2025.
This shift isn’t isolated to Ooma’s data alone. According to Nielsen’s media consumption report, streaming services accounted for 44.8% of total U.S. television usage. This surpassed combined broadcast and cable television viewing for the first time in 2025, clearly marking a definitive shift in viewer preferences toward digital platforms.
Taken together, these statistics show a clear trend toward Americans valuing the flexibility, cost savings, and on-demand access of streaming over traditional cable and communication systems. Landlines and cable are on their way to becoming relics of the past, replaced by modern wireless services and Internet streaming that better fit modern budgets and lifestyles. Advancing technology and better broadband access will likely continue to shape how households connect, entertain themselves, and make decisions about spending on phones and entertainment.
Deciding which home improvement projects are worth your time and money can yield big payoffs. Whether you think you’ll sell yourself soon or want to increase your comfort and value, you can use this new study from Ace Handyman Services to decide which projects to tackle. Their article “Which Handyman Home Improvement Projects have the Biggest ROI?” pinpoints the upgrades and repairs that will give you the greatest return on investment.
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The study focuses on cost-effective projects that offer a tangible increase in home value. These projects will improve the home’s functionality and make it look more cared for. Both qualities are appealing to potential buyers. Some of the top upgrades the team lists are garage door replacement, new entry doors, refinishing floors, fixing siding, and painting the walls. Landscaping and proper lawn care also go a long way toward increasing curb appeal. Nationwide surveys show that simple cosmetic upgrades can add over 100% of the project’s cost to the home’s value. This is particularly true if you paint in neutral or modern colors.
Experts also point to kitchen and bathroom improvements as good, modest cost investments. Replacing fixtures and cabinets can make a big difference. National data points to small-scale kitchen remodels recouping 80% to 96% of their costs, which is a much better ROI than big, expensive remodeling overhauls. We see in the team’s data that flooring and exterior upgrades also have a major impact. Well-maintained and upgraded floors are often worth more than the cost to do the project. New hardwood floors or sanding and refinishing floors add around $5,000 of resale value. A lawn care service has an enormous ROI of 217%, underscoring the massive impact of curb appeal. Upgraded landscaping can add $9,000 in value, and even simple landscape lighting can add around $4,000. You could also consider adding an outdoor fire feature, which would add $5,000 in value.
Overall, these projects had the highest ROI:
- Replacing the garage door
- Standard lawn care service
- Replace the entry door
- Install manufactured stone veneer
- Sand and refinish hardwood floors
- Install new hardwood floors
- Replace siding
- Paint interior
- Landscape maintenance
- Upgrade the landscape
The biggest message the team’s study underscores is that handyman projects can outperform big remodels and renovations in terms of increased home value. These handyman-friendly projects that the average DIYer can achieve represent a balance of cost-effectiveness, value impact, and everyday comfort enhancement. Always lean toward adding visual appeal and increasing functionality when deciding on ways to improve your home. The projects on this list will help you make a more beautiful, comfortable home without breaking your back. Whether you hire a handyman service or take on the project yourself, these projects are within your grasp and will give you a solid return on the investment.
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