The Weekly Wrap: November 9, 2025

On Friday, my colleague hosted our library's webinar on how not to get scammed. There are a lot of people out there trying to get your money. They are persistent and they are not going away. In fact, in the middle of the webinar, I got one of those "Hello" texts from an unknown number that is the start of many catfishing scams. 

At this point, my personal policy is to not respond to or pick up any text message or phone call if the number is not already in my phone. If it's real, they'll leave a voicemail or try contacting me another way.

But that is just the first line of defense. Here are some other things you can do:

• Slow down, breathe, and think - Most scams rush you into action because they want to scare you into a response before you can think logically.
• ​Check the sender - Look closely at the full email address or number. Google the number or message - many scam numbers are listed online because the same message is sent to so many people.
• Ask a second party - Show the message to a family member, friend, or librarian to get their reaction. Uninvolved parties who aren't emotionally connected have an easier time identifying scams.
• Get others involved - Scammers tell you to keep things secret because they don't want others to prevent you from acting.
• Notice sketchy payments - Gift cards, crypto, or wire transfers are all red flags.
• Don’t share personal info -  No real company asks for passwords or SSNs by text or email.
• Never give remote access - Scammers may ask to “fix” your computer or bank issue - don’t let them.
• Use strong, unique passwords - A password manager can help. (And update passwords regularly!)
• Turn on two-step or biometric verification - It blocks access even if someone gets your password.
• Don’t overshare online - Details like birthdays, schools, or pets’ names can help scammers guess passwords or create a sense of trust with you.
• Trust your gut - If something feels off, stop before you do anything.
• Report it - File scams at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

What do you do to prevent yourself from being scammed?

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• On board an ocean liner. [WaPo - gift link]
• Art can be fun and beautiful. [annandaniel]
• Historical portraits meet photography. [PetaPixel]
• Digital archives are good, but not like this. [The Atlantic - gift link]
• AI doesn't use the truth. It's made from what is scaped. [The AI School Librarians Newsletter]

• "Touch grass" is good health advice. [Hidden Brain]
• I'll be looking at rocks differently now. [Short Wave]
• The beginning of this episode is silly and joyous. [How to Do Everything]
• Freedom of speech did not arise for the reasons you think. [Code Switch]
• Is AI bringing back trades? [Booming]
• The possible powers of red foliage. [Short Wave]

• LA Public Library doing a community service with this one. [lapubliclibrary]
• I'm game! [kalebs.journal]
• Ovi got 900 goals in stellar fashion! [NHL]

• Ravioli is always a winning dish in our home. I made baked spinach and mushroom ravioli lasagna for our meatless Monday. Except, I didn't. We forgot to buy mushrooms! But I followed the rest of the recipe and it was delicious. The leftovers reheated well too. [Eating Well]
• We had a leftover packet of bourbon honey mustard dressing from one of those bag salad kits. I hate throwing away food, so we used it as a marinade on a chicken breast. We cooked that in a sous vide before pan searing it off. The flavor was light but good.(Need a bit of black pepper.) We served it with a side of roasted carrots and a few slices of baguette.