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News Roundup
This is a roundup of news and other interesting pieces that I’ve come across over the last few days. Lowe’s, Target investigate gift card scheme, Virgin Atlantic flight turns back due to co-pilot’s training, Cliffrose Springdale, a Curio Collection review, Astra Finance, and airline passengers behaving better.
Lowes, Target investigate gift card scheme in bay Area
It is a growing problem across the country, involving millions of dollars and thousands of victims. A report by the Federal Trade Commission indicated gift card schemes cost 40,000 people nearly $148 million during the first 9 months of last year.
For the local victim, Lowes gift cards were at the top of the list for the suspects who demanded $8,000 worth to clear up a credit card issue and stop a scheme that would supposedly end with child pornography possession charges if he did not pay.
“I felt like I was being held hostage by them. They kept me on the phone,” he said. “They said I had a time limit.”
Virgin Atlantic flight turns back to London due to co-pilot’s training
A Virgin Atlantic flight to New York was forced to turn back to London when it became apparent that the co-pilot was not qualified to fly because he had not completed his final assessment. The Airbus A330 was about 40 minutes into its flight to JFK Airport on Monday when the two pilots became aware of what the airline later called a “rostering error.”
The captain is not a designated trainer and was not qualified to fly with a co-pilot who had not completed Virgin Atlantic training protocols, according to the airline. After returning to Heathrow, the first officer was swapped and the flight resumed its journey to the Big Apple, where it landed two hours and 40 minutes late.
Hilton’s Zion National Park Hotel That Should Not Be Overlooked
Check out this review of Cliffrose Springdale, a Curio Collection hotel by Hilton. It became a Curio property in late 2019 and has an authentic feel of a local resort property that happens to be bookable with points. The room, the staff, the breakfast – all were exceptional. And its proximity to Zion National Park was the crowning jewel.
Astra Finance – Automate Transfers Between Accounts
Astra Finance helps you automate transfers between various bank accounts. Astra works with any bank on Plaid and is free to use. It can be a useful tool to fulfill bank bonus requirements, and even direct deposit requirements.
Data: Airline Passengers Behaving Better Without Mask Mandate
With the federal transportation mask mandate having ended, the rate of unruly air passenger incidents has dropped to the lowest level since late 2020. For the week ending April 24, there were 1.9 reported incidents per 10,000 flights, compared to 4.4 reported incidents per 10,000 flights the week before.
