(Omaha, NE) – This Valentine’s Day is shaping up to be big, according to projections by the National Retail Federation, which suggests that consumer spending will reach nearly $26 billion. The Better Business Bureau’s Omaha office says as you prepare to celebrate, there are few common scams that you need to be aware of. Whether you’re hoping to spark a new relationship or buying gifts for loved ones, beware of these four scams regularly reported to BBB:

Impostor websites

From fake jewelry sellers to online dating sites, consumers should always be on the alert for impostor websites. Scammers can easily lift official photos, sale promotions and logos directly from the website for a popular jewelry brand. With professional graphics and unbeatable prices, scammers build an attractive website that looks eerily like the real thing. Similar methods may be used to build fake online dating platforms, which are often used to steal personal data and credit card information. For more tips to spot fake websites, read our guide to smart shopping online.

Red flags:

·         Products are available at extreme discounts.

·         The seller requests customers pay with cash transfer apps or cryptocurrency.

·         Customer service is unreachable.

Romance scams

Romance scammers often target vulnerable people who have experienced a recent breakup or other hardship. They take advantage of that heartbreak to establish a connection and gain sympathy. Once they’ve gotten their victim on the hook with a sad story, they begin pursuing their true goal–money.

Falling victim to a romance scam can be particularly devastating. Victims can lose thousands of dollars, and they’re often left feeling heartbroken and betrayed because they really believed they’d found a good partner. Read more about romance scams for safe online dating advice.

Red flags:

·         The relationship moves very fast.

·         You never meet in person.

·         They ask for money.

Wrong number scam

Responding to a text message from someone who messaged the wrong number might seem harmless. In fact, it might even seem like the polite thing to do, if they say they’re looking to reconnect with a potential match. The text message, however, is bait to lure you into a conversation. If you keep chatting, they eventually try to get your personal information by directing you to sign up for an adult site. Learn more about wrong number texts and scam bots.

Red flags:

·         The messages don’t stop.

·         The sender directs you to sign up for a website.

·         They try to get your personal information.

Fake florist scam

Ordering flowers for Valentine’s Day? Don’t procrastinate or you may end up falling for a scam. BBB has received many reports of shoppers who thought they were ordering flowers from an online florist… but either got nothing at all, or a disappointing arrangement. Don’t let phony florists ruin Valentine’s Day.

Red flags:

·         The business has no reviews or bad reviews (always check BBB.org!)

·         You can’t find a return policy or satisfaction guarantee.

·         The deal is “too good to be true.”

What to do if you encounter a scam

If you encounter a suspected romance scam, cut off all contact with the perpetrator by blocking their accounts and phone number. Then, report your experience to BBB.org/ScamTracker. Dating site users should also report suspicious activity to the platform, so they can act against the scammers account.

For more information about romance scams, visit BBB.org/romance.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Iowa District 21 Representative Thomas Moore (R-Griswold) celebrated his 71st birthday, Thursday, in Des Moines. He announced the event to the House Chamber Thursday morning, where he also recognized former Representative Rob Bacon and their birthday tradition of bringing maple bacon chocolate cake. In discussing what’s transpired so far at the Statehouse, Moore noted that “We are already into Week 5 of the General Assembly and Thursday was day 32 of the 110 day session.”

He said the House Education Committee met Tuesday afternoon and passed seven bills through committee. Among them was HF (House File) 16, which creates a comprehensive transition and post-secondary scholarship program for individuals with intellectual, developmental, or learning disabilities who are at least 18 years old and enrolled in a CTP program in Iowa.

• HF4 is the “Alternative Teacher Licensure” bill. It creates two alternate pathways for those hoping to attain a teacher license. Pathway 1: Creates an alternative teacher licensure path for those who have at least a bachelor’s degree and three years of work experience to apply for a teacher intern license while completing additional coursework. Upon meeting requirements, an initial teacher license is granted at the recommendation of the school they are an intern at. Pathway 2: Creates a program that allows an out-of-state alternative teacher licensure if it operates in at least 5 states for at least 10 years. Training will include required pedagogy training and content training.

A number of the bills will have amendments drafted before they go to the floor for debate. Tom Moore said the Health and Human Services Committee met Thursday morning and passed three bills, including the “Psychiatry Fellowship” bill, which revises the state-funded psychiatry residency program that was established last session to include two fellowship positions. The program will annually graduate 9 psychiatry residents and 2 psychiatry fellows.

• HF74 will update the current Intellectual Disability Waiver home and vehicle modification cap from a lifetime maximum of $5,727.37 to an annual maximum cap of $6,872.85. The modifications must be medically necessary and will be subject to prior authorization.

Moore says among the bills that passed through the House this past week, is Senate File (SF) 181, or the “Property Tax Rollback Calculation Fix” bill, fixes an error in the interpretations of past property tax bills.

Moore said “Our priority this session is the property taxpayer, not the government.” In other news, Moore said he welcomed some Clarinda High School’s I-Jag program to the Capital Dome.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak say no one was hurt and no citations were issued, following an accident involving a pickup truck and a bicycle, Thursday morning. Authorities say 19-year-old Zephyr Darius Richardson, of Red Oak, was riding his bicycle eastbound in the 600 block of E. Market Street in Red Oak, at around 7:38-a.m., when he turned in front of an eastbound 2001 Chevy S-10 pickup driven by 49-year-old Gunner Wesley Magaret, of Red Oak.

The pickup hit the bicycle when Magaret went to push his brakes, but accidentally stepped on the accelerator pedal. The pickup turned sideways on the slush covered road and drove through a yard at 601 E. Market Street before coming to rest after striking a fence on property owned by Peggy Brensel. The damage amounted to $1,650 altogether.

(Creston, Iowa) – The driver of a 2013 Dodge Caravan suffered possible/unknown injuries during a single-vehicle accident early Thursday morning. According to the Union County Sheriff’s Office, 43-year-old Michael Ray Bishop, of Cromwell, lost control of the vehicle at around 1:22-a.m. at Kingfisher Avenue and Highway 34 east. Authorities say the van went out of control due to the slushy road conditions, and speed.

The van left the highway to the south and struck a ditch embankment, causing $3,500 damage to the vehicle. Bishop was wearing his seat belt. He complained of pain/possible injury, but did not request treatment or transport to the hospital. No citations were issued.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Natural Resources Commission the purchase of a filter system for the Spirit Lake fish hatchery in Dickinson County to improve the production of muskellunge or muskies. D-N-R fisheries supervisor, Jay Rudacille says the hatchery has been facing challenges from gas supersaturation and zebra mussels. He says the gas supersaturation in the water they use from Big Spirit Lake is a natural phenomenon and caused up to 60 percent of the small fish to die, and 26 percent of the fish had deformities 2022.

The filter system will allow them alleviate the problems. Commissioners asked Rudacille about the cost for the system when only three-thousand fish are stocked in Iowa lakes. He says they do trade thousands of muskies that are not stocked for other species of fish.

(Radio Iowa) – A Fort Dodge man accused of beating his ex-girlfriend’s mother to death with a golf club in 2020 has been found guilty of first-degree murder. The jury in the case against Mark Russell deliberated for around an hour and a half after closing arguments Thursday morning before finding him guilty in the January 2020 death of 45-year-old Angela McLeod.

Webster County Assistant Attorney Ryan Baldridge says the trial only took three days — but the family of Angela McLeod has waited three years to get a verdict and closure. Baldridge says. Sentencing will be held March 20th in Webster County District Court.

(Radio Iowa) – Republicans in the Iowa House are proposing a change in a state law passed just two weeks ago. Under that new law, private school students whose parents get state-funded savings accounts are required to take all required state and federal tests. The bill would keep the requirement for the annual Iowa Statewide Assessment of Students Progress, but it would be up to a private school parent to decide if their child takes other tests to track their literacy skills. Eric Goranson, a lobbyist for the Iowa Association of Christian Schools, says the proposed change in the new law is a pleasant surprise.

“Many parents come to our schools because they like the way we assess,” Goranson says, “because they like the way we instruct.” Opponents of the proposal say the literacy tests gauge a student’s progress in reading and comprehension and will give policymakers a chance to compare how public and private school students getting state support are progressing. Representative Molly Buck, a Democrat from Ankeny, says the testing is about making sure schools are being good stewards of taxpayer dollars.

“I think that this accountability measure that’s in the original bill is a way for us to make sure that the money that we are giving is doing what it’s intended to do,” Buck says, “and that kids are keeping up with the standards that we’ve set.” Republican Representative Taylor Collins of Mediapolis voted for the change as it was considered in a House subcommittee.

“I’ve said once and I’ll say it again — accountability is best left to parents,” Collins said. House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfst says the testing requirements led some reluctant Republicans to vote for the new law. “We’re also going to say: ‘I told you so…that private schools were not going to be held accountable,” Konfrst says.

Later today (Friday), Governor Reynolds is scheduled to be at the American Enterprise Institution in Washington, D.C. to discuss her “Students First” program. When fully implemented, it will let any family apply for state funds to cover private school expenses.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird has joined a lawsuit that challenges a Biden Administration rule requiring registration of gun accessories known as pistol braces. Pistol braces were first marketed in 2012 as a way to help people with a disability stabilize a pistol by attaching it to their forearm, but people also use the device to brace a gun against their shoulder.

The Biden Administration has classified that configuration as a short-barreled rifle. It means pistol brace owners have to register the device and pay a 200 dollar registration fee. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird says since pistol braces have been legal for a decade, millions of Americans who bought one legally will become a felon if they don’t know about the new rule and fail to register the device by May 31st.

Iowa is joining two dozen other Republican-led states and the National Rifle Association in suing to try to block the Biden Administration policy on pistol braces. The rule is part of executive actions President Biden announced in early 2021 in response to mass shootings. The gunman who killed 10 people in a Colorado grocery store in 2019 used a pistol brace. The device was also used by a man who killed nine and wounded 17 others at a bar in Ohio in 2019.

The Council Bluffs Police Department and the family of a missing man are requesting your help in locating 33-year-old Nicholas James Erisman, of Council Bluffs. Erisman was last seen around noon on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023. He was wearing a red, white and black ice fishing jacket. Nicholas was also wearing a red and white helmet, brown overalls and boots.

Nicholas left his residence riding his red ATV. He was believed to be heading to the area of Lake Manawa.

Nicholas Erisman

Anyone who may have seen Nicholas Erisman after Noon on Thursday, or who may know his where, should call the Council Bluffs Police Department at 712-328-4761 or Pottawattamie County Disptach at 712-328-5737.