In today’s daily 5 Things You Need to Know feature, ThisWeekinWorcester.com explores five important items and stories that Worcester and Central Massachusetts residents should keep a close eye on.
These five things can cover a whole range of subjects and issues that we feel are pertinent to understanding what’s going on in the city and the cities and towns surrounding Worcester.
In today’s edition – February 12, 2021 – BubbleBee Cafe is celebrating their one year anniversary today, South High is hosting a virtual open house this month, Amtrak is having a buy one, get one free sale, car insurance in Massachusetts isn’t the cheapest in the U.S. by a wide margin and the Better Business Bureau has some tips to avoid being scammed on dating apps.
BubbleBee Cafe is Celebrating 1 Year Anniversary Today
BubbleBee Cafe — located at 160 Green St. inside the Worcester Public Market — is celebrating their one year anniversary today, Friday, February 12.
As part of their celebration, BubbleBee Cafe is having a Buy One, Get One Free sale on all milk teas and iced teas.
The special is available today at BubbleBee Cafe from 3 PM to 5 PM.
South High School Virtual Open House
South High Ch. 74 Program will have a virtual open house on Wednesday, February 24. The virtual event will include meeting the principal, administration and program teachers, as well as a sneak peek of the new building and shop areas.
Join the virtual meeting here.
South High Ch 74 Program Virtual Open House on February 24, 2021. #WPSlearnshttps://t.co/UE3diTe2Ph pic.twitter.com/p6hSNdvzoN
— Worcester Schools (@worcesterpublic) February 11, 2021
Amtrak Offers BOGO for Valentine’s Day
Amtrak is offering a buy one, get one free offer from now through Tuesday, February 16. Customers can purchase one ticket and bring a companion along for free for nationwide travel between February 22 and August 27, 2021.
Customers can receive discounted tickets by using the code C214 at checkout or at amtrak.com/vdaysale.
Mass is 21st Cheapest State for Auto Insurance
A new study by Wallethub.com finds that 20 states have cheaper auto insurance than Massachusetts, leaving the state in the middle of the pack.
According to the study, the five cheapest providers in Massachusetts are:
- State Farm
- Chubb
- Plymouth Rock
- Geico
- Preferred Mutual
Some other findings from the study:
- Full coverage car insurance costs 246% more than minimum coverage in Massachusetts, on average.
- 16-year-olds pay 344% more for car insurance than 55-year-olds in Massachusetts, on average.
- Drivers with a DUI pay 104% more for car insurance than drivers with a clean record in Massachusetts, on average.
- 61 million Americans have reduced their car insurance coverage due to COVID-19.
- 105 million Americans say they’re not getting their money’s worth from their car insurance.
- 55 million Americans have second thoughts about owning a car due to COVID-19.
BBB Warns of Dating App Scams Around Valentine’s Day
The Better Business Bureau [BBB] is warning consumers using dating apps of scams around Valentine’s Day weekend.
One variation of the scam is conducted using stolen CARES Act funds where a potential match asks you to transfer money overseas to help a loved one.
After stealing the funds, scammers send the money through someone in the United States to make it harder for authorities to trace. Money laundering and wire fraud are illegal. Although the “money mule” is a victim, too, they may still face prosecution.
Some tips from BBB to avoid becoming part of the scam:
- Do your research. Many scammers steal photos from the internet to use in their dating profiles. You can do ads reverse image lookup using a website, like Google Images, to see if the photos on a profile are stolen from somewhere else. You can also search online for a profile name, email, or phone number to see what adds up and what doesn’t. Scammers most often pose as men and target women in their 50s and 60s.
- Ask specific questions about details given in a profile. A scammer may stumble over remembering details or making a story fit.
- Never send money or sensitive personal information to someone you’ve never met in person. Cut off contact if someone starts asking you for financial or personally identifiable information (PII), like your credit card number or government ID numbers.
- Be very suspicious of requests to wire money or use a pre-paid debit card. These are scammers’ favorite ways to send payments because, like cash, once the money is gone, it can’t be recovered.
Lead image courtesy: BubbleBee Cafe/Facebook
