You should keep your phone number private to avoid scammers – Here’s how

Too many people have your phone number. Beyond the friends and loved ones you knowingly shared it with, how many accounts have you signed up with over the years, and how many times did you put your phone number on a form?

The more your number is floating around, the more exposed you are to scammers, creeps and cybercriminals. But no matter how long you’ve had your current phone number, it’s never too late to start being more discrete with it. It is recommend keeping your number private as much as you can. Read on for tips on how to do that.

Google Voice

Google Voice is a free service that gives you a phone number that you can use anywhere for anything. It works for both domestic and international phone calls as well as texts and voicemails. You can get Google Voice for iOS and Android. All you need is a Google account to get started.

Then follow these steps:

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• Download the Google Voice app for iOS or Android.
• Open the app and sign in to your Google account.
• Review the terms of privacy and tap Accept or Continue to proceed.
• Tap Search to choose a phone number from the list. You can search by city or area code.
• Tap Select next to the phone number you want.
• Verify the number and enter a phone number to link to your Voice account.
• You’ll get a six-digit code to enter for the next step. Enter it and you’re done.

Now you can use your Google Voice number however you please. Give it to new contacts and companies/services you do business with or use it for your own business if you have one. People can use your burner number to connect to your phone without having your real number.

Burner apps

A burner app gives you a second phone number and uses your internet data or Wi-Fi to make and receive calls and texts. You can use it temporarily or long term. A burner number is great for online dating, shopping, web forms, transportation apps, social media and more. We recommend the Burner and Hushed apps.

Burner is one of the most popular apps of its kind on iOS and Android. You can route your calls directly to your secondary number, so you don’t even need to hide them. The app comes with a 7-day free trial, and plans start at $4.99 per month for one line or $47.99 for one year.

Hushed for iOS and Android lets you create numbers from all over the world, so you can go outside your area code or the U.S. if you’d like. Access your Hushed numbers from anywhere there’s a Wi-Fi connection.

A prepaid plan starts at $1.99 for 7 days and comes with bundled minutes for local calls and texts. You can step up to unlimited talk and text ($3.99 per month) and international service ($4.99 per month).

Keep your real number for yourself

You’ll need your real phone number for things that matter, such as your medical and financial accounts and records. Use your discretion, but you don’t need to give anyone your real number for the most part.

When in doubt, make up a phone number. Do you know those online forms that don’t let you proceed unless you put in a number? Just fill it out with 555-555-5555 or something like that. There’s no need to give them your phone number just because they’re asking for it.

If a site or service requires two-factor authentication (2FA), set it up to go to your email address or burner number. Even in the case of securing your account, you don’t need to use your real number.

A burner account for your email

Gmail, Yahoo and Outlook provide you with free email accounts, but you pay for the service with something else — your privacy. We recommend StartMail, an ad-free email service that doesn’t collect or share your data with third parties. Nobody can track you or build a personal profile of you.

Once you delete an email, it’s gone for good. Your inbox and folders are encrypted and stored in their own “vault,” which not even StartMail can access.

You can create burner accounts to share disposable email addresses while keeping your legit address confidential. This works just like a burner number. Use your burner email address for virtually any situation.

5 ways to stop bots and spammers from calling you all day long

If you answer the phone when an unknown number calls, robots probably love you. Nowadays, when you answer the phone, it’s likely a robocall spammer. They have a ton of nasty tricks up their sleeve, from posing as a member of the IRS to lying about your car’s warranty.

No matter what mask a robot wears, its end goal is the same: to snatch your money away. They’re shockingly successful. Research from Statista found that Americans lost $19.7 billion to scam calls in 2020.

Scammers are using more sophisticated tricks than ever before, so the issue is escalating. Tap or click here to find out why robocalls spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic. Luckily, there are five helpful techniques to help you put an end to robocalls.

1. Take advantage of carrier tools

The best way to stop robocalls is to look at your carrier’s resources. Each of the four major companies has tools you can use to identify, filter and prevent robocall numbers. Some carriers make you pay an extra monthly fee to activate these services, but network-level blocking is free of charge across all the carriers.

AT&T

AT&T subscribers can use a free iOS and Android app called AT&T Call Protect. This lets you manually block unwanted calls. Plus, it has automatic fraud blocking and suspected spam warnings.

Other free options include:

• Scanning and blocking suspected scam calls and robocallers.
• Advance warnings of potential telemarketers or spam calls.
• Non-contacts can be sent straight to voicemail.
• Customized blocklists.
• Reporting robocalls that make it through the filters.

Want even more protection? Drop $3.99 a month, and you can try out Call Protect Plus, which includes the above features, plus:

• Alerts that tell you how likely it is an incoming call is spam.
• More details about “unknown” callers.
• Reverse number lookup.
• Customized call filter options.

Verizon

If you’re a Verizon user, you need to check out its Call Filter app. So far, it has identified and blocked 300 million scammy phone numbers.

Here are features you’ll get with the free options:

• Identifying unknown numbers by name, if possible.
• Scanning and blocking suspected incoming scam calls.
• Reporting robocalls that make it through your filters.
• Reverse number lookup.

Or you can buy one of two options. Pay $2.99 per month per line or $7.99 per month for three or more lines, and you can use Call Filter Plus. This includes:

• Spam lookup gives you access to more than 100 million known spam callers from Verizon’s database.
• Blocking unknown numbers once and memorizing the numbers for the future.
• Rank callers based on robocall likelihood.

T-Mobile & Sprint

Since T-Mobile and Sprint are now one company, that means you benefit from two massive databases of known scam callers. You’ll also love T-Mobile’s anti-robocall campaign called Scam Shield, which helps all T-Mobile and Sprint subscribers. This offers the following benefits:

• All incoming calls are now automatically filtered on the network level to make sure they’re real.
• Enhanced Caller ID will display a “Scam Likely” label on phone calls that happen to make it through the filter.
• A “proxy phone number” will be given to subscribers for use in place of their own for online sign-ups and subscriptions.
• Be ID Aware, which notifies you when your private information is compromised and shows up for sale on the Dark Web.

Want to activate these features? T-Mobile customers can dial #662# on their smartphones and press the call button. You’ll need to download the Scam Shield app from the iOS App Store or Google Play for the proxy number.

2. Join the National Do Not Call Registry list

Of course, even if you activate the features above, you may still struggle with robocalls. Scammers often slip through the tracks to steal your money. According to data from market research firm Hiya, the average person who falls for a scam loses $182.

Some unfortunate souls lose as much as $500, though. Sign up for the National Do Not Call Registry to make sure you don’t lose a dime. Putting your name on this list makes it illegal for telemarketers to call you.

What to do if you find yourself in a filthy Airbnb vacation rental

No one wants to stay in a filthy Airbnb, but if you find yourself in one, you must take specific steps if you hope to qualify for a refund. Here’s what you need to do if you show up and your vacation rental is not inhabitable.

• Alert the owner/host:
  During the pandemic, we’ve seen an increase in traveler complaints about unclean hotels and vacation rentals. Whether this is due to the reduction in employees available or consumers being more aware and sensitive to the cleanliness of a property, it’s imperative that travelers alert the host of any issues at check-in. This protocol is a required step in the Airbnb resolution process. Airbnb allows the host a reasonable time to correct the problem before it is considered an unsolvable issue.
• Take photos/videos:
  If you find your next vacation rental in a filthy state, make sure to take photos and document the property’s condition. If the host does nothing to swiftly correct the problem, you will need those photos to support your request for a refund. Remember, if you have no photographic evidence, Airbnb will side with the host who likely has provided many sparkly photos of the property.
• Use the Airbnb resolution center to escalate your complaint:
  If the host is unresponsive to your request, your next step is to sign in to your Airbnb account and file a complaint. An agent will ask you to upload your photographic evidence and your correspondence with the host. At that time, the Airbnb agent may approve your move to a new location.
• Confirm what Airbnb will cover if you reject a filthy Airbnb:
  If Airbnb agrees that the conditions at the property make it unacceptable, you’ll be offered a refund, OR the agent may attempt to rehouse you. If you accept the new accommodation, you may end up at an upgraded property. Review the offers very carefully before you commit to the new location. If you decide to go on your own, confirm with Airbnb what replacement costs will be covered.
• Keep it reasonable:
  It’s essential to keep your new accommodation in line with the cost of your original Airbnb selection. If you’ve always wanted to stay at the Four Seasons — now isn’t the time to do it if you’re hoping for reimbursement from Airbnb. That won’t happen. Make sure to keep the cost of your new hotel or rental reasonable.

Important notice about Lock My PC scam issue and how to recovery your computer

It has come to Lock your computer”s attention that some scammers use Lock My PC for illegal activities (e.g. to extort money). The scammers falsely identify themselves as service providers, install Lock My PC on user computers without permissions and lock the computers.

Since Lock My PC was available for free download from our site, we were unable to control who used this software and for what purposes. However, we consider such activities as a cybercrime and a gross violation of Lock My PC license agreement.

How to recovery your computer

Lock My PC 4.9 Free Edition Password Recovery

If you can’t see the password prompt, Lock My PC is probably in the “blind” mode – press Shift+Spacebar to display the password prompt.

To recover password to Lock My PC free edition, type “999901111” in the password line. Do NOT press Enter or OK button.

You will see a numeric recovery code under the password line.

Type this code in the form below (on this page, not in the program) and certify that you are authorized to unlock by checking the corresponding box, then press Submit.

You will get a new recovery password, which you can use with Lock My PC instead of your password.

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Password Recovery code:
I certify that I am an owner or authorized user of the locked computer

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If this solution wouldn’t work for you, you may have another version of Lock My PC, so try another way

Important notice about Lock My PC scam issue

It has come to our attention that some scammers use Lock My PC for illegal activities (e.g. to extort money). The scammers falsely identify themselves as service providers, install Lock My PC on user computers without permissions and lock the computers.

Since Lock My PC was available for free download from our site, we were unable to control who used this software and for what purposes. However, we consider such activities as a cybercrime and a gross violation of Lock My PC license agreement.

IF YOU BECOME A VICTIM OF SUCH CYBERCRIME, PLEASE USE THIS RECOVERY PAGE TO GET THE PASSWORD TO UNLOCK YOUR COMPUTER AND REMOVE OUR SOFTWARE.

If recovery page doesn’t help, please contact us.

After receiving too many reports of Lock My PC misuse, we decided to make our user access control software unavailable for public. However, the programs are still available for our existing customers on requests. New customers may request Lock My PC business edition only using their corporate email address.

Free Speech is going away in the world!

Tech Companies are now censoring speech and deleting individuals right to free speech.  Amazon is banning books and films they do not like or consider hateful, but they refused to define hateful.

Amazon has quietly adopted a new policy against any books or movies with material it considers hate speech.  There is just one problem: Amazon does not define what it considers hate speech. Because of this, tons of free speech advocates are sounding the alarm bells, especially since Amazon is quietly cracking down on conservative media. The tech giant recently removed a documentary about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as well as a book about transgender issues written by conservative author Ryan Anderson.

This is not the first time Amazon removed right-wing content this year. In January, it shut down Parler, a popular social media app for conservatives. Republican senators claim this issue impacts the entire digital world.

Is Amazon allergic to transparency?

The book causing a stir is a former Amazon bestseller named “When Harry Became Sally,” which claims to provide “thoughtful answers to questions arising from our transgender movement.” Amazon has banned books in the past, although these were mainly full of conspiracy theories claiming the Holocaust never happened.

Although Amazon has not released any statements condemning this book, it removed “When Harry Became Sally” from its subsidiaries Kindle and Audible. Despite the lack of communication, Amazon’s actions make a clear message: This book has been deemed unacceptable. Now, Republican lawmakers want to know why.

Marco Rubio, Mike Braun, Mike Lee and Josh Hawley demand an explanation in an open letter to Jeff Bezos. The politicians declared this an assault on free speech that could impact the future of digital discourse. “By removing this book from its marketplaces and services, Amazon has unabashedly wielded its outsized market share to silence an important voice merely for the crime of violating woke group think,” they wrote.

Below is part of their statement:

Many Americans have come to rely on online retail more than ever before to meet their basic needs, particularly considering the COVID-19 pandemic. In its decision to remove Mr. Anderson’s book from its platforms, Amazon has openly signaled to conservative Americans that their views are not welcome on its platforms.

Whether you agree with Amazon’s actions or not, the lack of transparency is sparking concerns across the political spectrum. It triggers worries about Amazon’s reliability.

One author calls this a “dangerous move”

“When Harry Became Sally” is far from the only book Amazon frowns upon. For example, it recently banned advertising for “Irreversible Damage,” a transgender research book by journalist Abigail Shrier. She took to Twitter to share her thoughts on Big Tech’s censorship.

“We’re really not making a big enough deal of the fact that Amazon has begun deleting books,” Shrier wrote in a post. “This is a dangerous move — and we are all too complacent about it.”

Amazon dominates the book-selling scene, so any move makes ripples throughout the publishing community. According to research firm Codex Group LLC, Amazon sells 53% of all books and 80% of all eBooks. Its power and influence mean the decision to remove a book can tank its sales.

“When a company controls over 83% of the market for books, it begins the process of deleting ideas from a society,” Shrier said on Twitter. She voiced concerns about Amazon’s ability to control public opinion.

This line of thinking reflects a common concern for Americans. Amazon is so mighty that its fingers reach nearly every sector: finance, business, marketing and even medicine.

Question should we allow Presidents to have such power of executive orders?

Key Biden executive actions

Subject	Type of action	Date
Re-engage with World Health Organization	End withdrawal process	Jan. 20
Create position of COVID-19 response coordinator	Executive order	Jan. 20
Rejoin Paris climate agreement	Sign an “instrument”	Jan. 20
Revoke permit for Keystone XL pipeline, pause energy leasing in ANWR	Executive order	Jan. 20
Ask agencies to extend eviction/foreclosure moratoriums	Request	Jan. 20
Ask Education Dept. to extend student-loan pause	Request	Jan. 20
Launch an initiative to advance racial equity, end “1776 Commission”	Executive order	Jan. 20
Revoke order that aims to exclude undocumented immigrants from census	Executive order	Jan. 20
Preserve/fortify DACA, which helps “Dreamers”	Memorandum	Jan. 20
Require masks/distancing on all federal property and by federal workers	Executive order	Jan. 20
Reverse travel ban targeting primarily Muslim countries	Executive order	Jan. 20
Stop construction of border wall	Proclamation	Jan. 20
Combat discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity	Executive order	Jan. 20
Require ethics pledge for executive-branch personnel	Executive order	Jan. 20
Modernize and improve regulatory review	Memorandum	Jan. 20
End “harsh and extreme immigration enforcement”	Executive order	Jan. 20
Extend protection from deportation for Liberians in U.S.	Memorandum	Jan. 20
Revoke certain executive orders concerning federal regulation	Executive order	Jan. 20
Freeze any new or pending regulations	Memorandum	Jan. 20
Fill supply shortfalls in fight vs. COVID-19 with Defense Production Act, other measures	Executive order	Jan. 21
Increase FEMA reimbursement to states for National Guard, PPE	Memorandum	Jan. 21
Establish “COVID-19 Pandemic Testing Board,” expand testing	Executive order	Jan. 21
Bolster access to COVID-19 treatments and clinical care	Executive order	Jan. 21
Improve collection/analysis of COVID-related data	Executive order	Jan. 21
Mount vaccination campaign amid goals such as 100 million shots in 100 days	Directives	Jan. 21
Provide guidance on safely reopening schools	Executive order	Jan. 21
OSHA guidance for keeping workers safe from COVID-19	Executive order	Jan. 21
Require face masks at airports, other modes of transportation	Executive order	Jan. 21
Establish a “COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force”	Executive order	Jan. 21
Support international response to COVID-19, “restore U.S. global leadership”	Directive	Jan. 21
Ask agencies to boost food aid, improve delivery of stimulus checks	Executive order	Jan. 22
Restore collective bargaining power for federal workers	Executive order	Jan. 22
Repeal ban on transgender people serving openly in U.S. military	Executive order	Jan. 25
Tighten ‘Buy American’ rules in government procurement	Executive order	Jan. 25
Reinstate coronavirus travel restrictions on Brazil, most of Europe	Proclamation	Jan. 25
End the Justice Department’s use of private prisons	Executive order	Jan. 26
Directs HUD to address discriminatory housing practices	Memorandum	Jan. 26
Combat racism against Asian-Americans, Pacific Islanders	Memorandum	Jan. 26
Directs agencies to engage in consultations with tribal governments	Memorandum	Jan. 26
Pause new oil and gas leasing on U.S. lands/waters, elevate climate change as national-security, foreign-policy priority	Executive order	Jan. 27
Re-establish President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology	Executive order	Jan. 27
Directs agencies to make decisions on best available science, evidence	Memorandum	Jan. 27
Reopen Obamacare marketplaces, lower recent barriers to joining Medicaid	Executive order	Jan. 28
Lift certain restrictions on abortion funding	Memorandum	Jan. 28
Keep aluminum tariffs on U.A.E., scrapping Trump administration’s exemption	Proclamation	Feb. 1
Begin ending “Remain in Mexico” program, “restore” U.S. asylum system	Executive order	Feb. 2
Start roll back of “public charge rule” (which imposes a wealth test on would-be immigrants), review other recent barriers to legal immigration	Executive order	Feb. 2
Create task force to reunite migrant families separated at the border	Executive order	Feb. 2
Retroactively reimburse states fully for FEMA-eligible costs tied to COVID	Memorandum	Feb. 2
Rebuild U.S. refugee resettlement program	Executive order	Feb. 4
Expand protection of LGBTQ people around the world	Memorandum	Feb. 4
Prevent Myanmar military from accessing property	Executive order	Feb. 11
Reestablish the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships to help address the needs of low-income people	Executive order	Feb. 14
Rescind a Trump order creating industry-led apprenticeship programs	Executive order	Feb. 17
Review supply chains for semiconductors and other ‘critical goods’	Executive order	Scheduled for Weds.

Before renting a car read this

It seems a car rental is no longer just a simple process of booking the car, picking it up, driving and dropping it off. Consumers need to protect themselves so that they aren’t charged for damages months down the road. Here are some tips to remember when renting a car.

– Check pricing on comparison sites, then book directly with the car rental company. Prices are usually the same and you don’t have a middle-man to deal with if there is a problem.

– Make sure that the car rental office is open during the times you will be picking up and dropping off the car. Returning the car to a closed office and leaving the keys in a lock box doesn’t allow you to be present when the car is inspected for damages.

– When picking up the car, take pictures or video of the entire car, including the license plate number. Point out every ding to a rental employee and ask to have them marked on your paperwork. Do the same when you drop it off, including a picture of the odometer at drop off and the fuel gauge. You’ll have picture proof that the car was in the same condition you picked it up in if you receive an email three months later saying your credit card is being charged for damages.

– NEVER book a non-refundable, pre-paid car rate. If your flight is delayed or canceled, you are stuck with that pre-paid car and in most cases won’t get a refund.

– Check the terms of your car rental carefully online before you book. We once needed a car to travel from our home in New York to a conference in Boston. When we arrived to pick up the car, which we booked with unlimited miles, we learned that if the car were taken out of the bordering states, the mileage wasn’t unlimited- we were given 150 free miles a day and would be charged for anything over that. Had we clicked the “See details” line, we would have seen that and booked with a different company without restrictions.

– Do not let the rental clerk rush you to sign and initial forms without reading them. You may say you don’t want insurance but there are unscrupulous rental clerks (especially in some foreign countries) who may get you to initial add ons you don’t want. Read everything you are signing or initialing so there are no surprises later.

– When you are renting a car in the U.S., check with your own car insurance company to see if it covers rental cars. If it does, bring a copy of your insurance card. It may not be necessary to purchase the expensive insurance the rental companies charge. Some credit cards offer coverage as well, but it may not include liability insurance and the rental office will often try to sell you that at their higher premiums.

– When renting a car abroad you will need to determine insurance requirements in each country. Some travel insurance companies and travel agents have policies available to cover in other countries. Some countries, such as Ireland, require you to buy their insurance when you pick up the car. Do your research so you know what your options are or you may have a large deposit held on your credit card for potential damages that may cause declinations at hotels or when shopping. Some companies will not rent at all without having proof of insurance.
– Contact the credit card company you are booking your car with and ask if they offer rental insurance. They may have requirements to cover you in the event of an accident, such as ensuring you decline insurance offered by the car rental company. Check before you leave so you’ll know your rights when you get to the counter.
– Never use a debit card when renting. As with hotels, the rental companies may put a hold on your card that may not drop off by the time you return the car. In addition, if you do not opt for insurance, many companies put a very large hold, some up to $5,000 on your card for possible damages.

– If you notice something isn’t right with the car when you begin driving, or notice there are scratches or dings on the car, turn around and go back to the desk. Once you drive off property, you will be held responsible for those issues and may be charged for damage you never made.j

– If you can pick up a car somewhere other than the airport, you’ll save money. There are many airport taxes that are added on to your rental price that aren’t applicable to off premises rentals.

– If you fill the tank before dropping it back off, get a receipt for the gas and save it. If you get a claim later on that you didn’t fill the tank, you have proof of how much gas you put in the tank.

You cannot get Parler account! Not American Value in pay right now

I have no twitter or instagram account and I am not on social media however after hearing that Big tech is banning the company I tried to get an account. So far after even using TOR I have been unsuccessful. Our country is letting these Technical companies ruin our freedom of speech! Write your congress person and let them know this is not fair to the people working at Parler and the our idea of being competitive before we lose our Freedom.

Partly false claim: Overall U.S. death count remains stable versus previous years, hinting COVID-19 not as deadly as feared

An image circulating on social media suggests COVID-19 isn’t as deadly as feared because the overall weekly death count remains relatively stable compared to previous years, despite fatalities relating to the novel coronavirus. This claim is misleading and requires context.Reuters Fact Check. REUTERS/Axel Schmidt

The image shows a chart of the “# of USA Total deaths per week” for the first 16 weeks of 2018, 2019, and 2020, a comparison of the totals for these weeks for each year, as well as the total deaths per year as a percentage of the current U.S. population  Alongside the image on one post, the user states: “Why is everything shut down again?? I thought it had something to do with a deadly disease??” 

The mortality data presented in the image on social media is likely to originate from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) ( www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/#S2 ). Under the heading “Pneumonia and Influenza (P&I) Mortality Surveillance”, the full data set reported by the NCHS is available for download. The data set includes weekly mortality counts of pneumonia and influenza cases as well as “all deaths” reported in the U.S. per week. The overall deaths numbers presented in this Excel document match for 2018, roughly match for 2019 and 2020. This suggests it is a source for the claim; the official data is likely to have been updated since.

The Pneumonia and Influenza Mortality Surveillance portal displays a disclaimer by the NCHS which states that: “[C]ollection of complete data is not expected at the time of initial report, and reliable percentage of deaths due to P&I is not anticipated at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services region or state level within this two week period. The data for earlier weeks are continually revised and the proportion of deaths due to P&I may increase or decrease as new and updated death certificate data are received by the NCHS.”

Since the image was posted on social media, the death count presented in the image on social media for “Week 16” in 2020, has been updated from 52,521 to 62,998, nearly a 20% increase. Current data also reflects changes to the “total” deaths reported in the chart during the first 16 weeks of 2020. According to updated figures, this number increased from 922,402 to 944,251 as of May 12, 2020.

Similar data disclaimers are also posted on the CDC page which reports deaths per week related to COVID-19 infections in the U.S. The site notes: “Death counts are delayed and may differ from other published sources (see Technical Notes). Counts will be updated periodically”.

It also says: “It is important to note that it can take several weeks for death records to be submitted to National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), processed, coded, and tabulated. Therefore, the data shown on this page may be incomplete, and will likely not include all deaths that occurred during a given time period, especially for the more recent time periods. Death counts for earlier weeks are continually revised and may increase or decrease as new and updated death certificate data are received from the states by NCHS. COVID-19 death counts shown here may differ from other published sources, as data currently are lagged by an average of 1–2 weeks.” ( here )

Further down, a technical note beneath a chart compilation of COVID-19 deaths per week says: “Data during this period are incomplete because of the lag in time between when the death occurred and when the death certificate is completed, submitted to NCHS and processed for reporting purposes. This delay can range from 1 week to 8 weeks or more, depending on the jurisdiction, age, and cause of death.”

This means that it is not yet possible to accurately determine a comprehensive tally of coronavirus-related fatalities in the U.S. for 2020.

A recent, similar Fact Check by the Reuters team on the lag in CDC numbers tables can be seen here .

On February 29, the first coronavirus-related death was reported in the U.S. Since then, over 83,000 deaths have been confirmed across the country ( here ).

On May 12, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testified before the Senate on the Trump administration’s coronavirus response ( here ). At around the 1 hour 26-minute mark,  Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders asked Fauci if he believed coronavirus deaths have been undercounted in the U.S. Fauci responded:https://www.youtube.com/embed/U8Z89y8nlVQ?autoplay=0&controls=1&enablejsapi=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0

“I’m not sure, Senator Sanders, if it’s going to be 50% higher, but most of us feel that the number of deaths is likely higher than that number [provided by some epidemiologists]. Because given the situation, particularly in New York City, when they were really strapped with a very serious challenge to their healthcare system, that there may have been people who died at home who did have COVID who are not counted as COVID because they never really got to the hospital… The number is likely higher, I don’t know what percent, but it most certainly is higher.”

Recent publications by the Washington Post and New York Magazine include graphics showing how COVID-19 is increasingly becoming a leading cause of death in the U.S., visible here and here .

VERDICT

Partly false. Data reporting the weekly death count in the first 16 weeks of 2018 and 2019 is accurate, but data from 2020 is still under revision. It is too soon to determine how the tally of coronavirus-related deaths will affect these overall figures.

This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our work to fact-check social media posts here . 

Wake up America and research information

What is really the truth I do not know but I do research and check things out. Question everything!!