Author: Christy Bieber

A trio of alleged car thieves very nearly walked away with $95,000 recently. However, their scheme was thwarted by an observant car dealer at the Stephen Wade Auto Center in St. George, Utah.

That employee’s quick thinking enabled police to set up a sting, arrest three men and save the dealership from losing thousands paying for a stolen vehicle. And, it was all thanks to his careful checking of the vehicle identification number (VIN).

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Here’s how the scam was foiled, along with how car owners can protect their own VINs — or make sure they don’t end up with a stolen car if they are buying a vehicle.

Phony VIN leads to a discovery of criminal behavior

The sequence of events that resulted in the arrest began when a man identifying himself as Marciano Madrano Penaloza went into the Stephen Wade dealership to sell a 2023 Chevrolet pickup truck, reported St. George News.

The dealership and Penaloza agreed on a price and Penaloza left with plans to return the next day to pick up a check for $51,000.

While the sale was pending, though, a dealership employee checked the VIN and found that it came back as “invalid.” This discovery launched an investigation of the vehicle, with employees checking the side door sticker, engine compartment and near the windshield where the VIN was found.

They found something surprising then — the VIN had been altered, though the change was hard to detect. When the real VIN was located, it revealed that the truck had been stolen. The dealership called law enforcement, who sprang into action to set up a sting after discovering Penaloza was coming back the next day to pick up the check.

When Penaloza returned with two others, all three men were arrested. According to St. George News, a search of their car by detectives uncovered a $44,000 check from a different dealer to whom Penaloza sold another truck. Police said that the VIN on that vehicle had also been altered and, when the real one was checked, that truck had also been reported stolen.

If the altered VIN hadn’t been found, the scammers would have walked away with a reported $95,000.

Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan ‘works every single time’ to kill debt, get rich in America — and that ‘anyone’ can do it

How to keep your car’s VIN safe — or use it to make sure your car purchase is legit

A VIN is a unique identifying number found within every vehicle. They essentially serve as the car’s fingerprint, with each 17-digit number permanently linked to a specific vehicle.

VINs are recorded in databases, including the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS), which stores a consolidated list of car title information compiled from Department of Motor Vehicles (DMVs) in participating states. The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) also maintains a VIN database, which is the one the dealer checked in this particular case.

If a car is stolen, in an accident or sold, all these details become part of the records attached to the VIN — sort of like how people’s borrowing behavior is added to their credit record.

That’s why thieves alter the VIN — to try to avoid a buyer finding the true history of a car. In this case, once the dealership found the unaltered vehicle ID number, they were able to use it to find out the truth about the truck and stop the scam in its tracks.

Protecting owners

If you’re a car owner, you need to protect your VIN. Otherwise, someone could steal it and use it in a scam like this one, attaching your legit VIN to a stolen car so when dealers search their database, everything comes up clear.

Cybercriminals can also sometimes hack a vehicle from thousands of miles away by using the VIN and the owner’s email to access a vehicle’s app and take over. Obviously, you don’t want that to happen.

The good news, you can help keep your car’s ID safe by covering the VIN with tape so people can’t look in the window of the car and see the number. Car owners should also make sure to avoid providing their VIN to anyone they don’t know and trust, so it won’t fall into the wrong hands.

Protecting buyers

As for car buyers, the key is to find a vehicle without a history of problems, like being reported stolen. Buyers should look carefully at the VIN in any vehicle they’re considering to make sure it’s not altered. You can check if fonts match up or if there are any scratches or markings near where the VIN is posted that could suggest tampering.

Once you have the (hopefully correct) VIN, you can run it through many online services that search VIN databases, including CARFAX, which will perform a VIN decoder to show buyers the car’s history.

Of course, even the dealer was nearly tricked here, so you’ll need to be careful when checking a vehicle’s VIN to make sure you aren’t duped.

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

Renee Williams was very much alive and living in West Philadelphia when she discovered a serious problem. Her bank accounts, health insurance and retirement benefits had all been cut off.

The reason? She’d been placed in the "Death Master File" maintained by the Social Security Administration.

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Williams has spent more than six months trying to ensure everything is restored and lives in fear she’ll lose it all again due to a clerical error.

"I go to sleep at night and think about if they’re going to cut me off again, not knowing day-to-day what’s going to happen to my benefits," Williams told CBS News Philadelphia.

It’s a reasonable concern. Her benefit payments are still inconsistent, credit and banking issues remain and the whole experience has been “a pain in the behind.” Worse still, she’s not the only American in this situation.

Sadly, such problems may only get worse as the Trump administration culls government jobs and overhauls agencies — with the Social Security Administration (SSA) a top target.

In April, an estimated 2,500 SSA workers accepted buyouts as part of the government’s efforts to eliminate 7,000 jobs in the agency, AARP reports.

How many Americans are wrongfully declared dead?

According to the Social Security Administration, less than 1% of the three million deaths the SSA records annually are incorrect. That works out to about 10,000 people a year whom the SSA deems dead, but who are actually alive. That’s not good.

But Elon Musk has inadvertently made the problem worse. Ironically, that’s because he’s more concerned about benefits going out to people who are dead, claiming rampant fraud.

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That’s one reason he overhauled the Social Security Administration database as part of the Department of Government Efficiency DOGE — to eliminate such errors.

Unfortunately, as the Daily Beast reports, that overhaul is now cutting off benefits to a growing number of people who, like Williams, are alive and well but who are declared dead.

According to ABC News, experts believe Musk may have misread the records by reading the wrong databases.

Rennie Glasgow, a Social Security claims technical analyst who has worked in the Social Security Administration’s Schenectady field office for 15 years, told the Daily Beast that 4 million people have been marked dead on the database as a result of the DOGE overhaul — even though many are alive.

“We have people who did not receive benefits come in every day with their ID and say, ‘I’m not dead, I’m alive!’” he said, noting it can take three to four days to “resurrect” them.

"When they mark someone dead on the Social Security record, it stops their life,” Glasgow said. “It stops their car payments, it stops their credit, it stops their ability to do anything.

Class-action lawsuit in the works

One Philadelphia consumer protection attorney, Jim Francis, is helping these victims fight back.

"These are all people who are going about their normal lives, and all of the sudden, they lose access to all of their benefits, their pension, their medical insurance and they become financially paralyzed," Jim Francis told CBS News.

Francis is representing a Baltimore family in Baltimore that is trying to initiate a class action against Social Security after their relative, Joyce Evans, was improperly reported dead in 2023.

The family claims the mistake caused financial and health problems, leading Joyce Evans to actually die months after the error occurred.

"It’s a really serious problem and in the world of data being misreported, this is almost as bad as it gets, if not the worst,” Francis said.

What to do if you’re wrongfully declared dead

If you have been improperly marked as being deceased, make an appointment with your local Social Security Administration field office as soon as possible.

You’ll need to bring valid ID with you, which can include one of the following documents:

• Passport
• Driver’s license
• Employee ID
• Military record
• School ID
• Marriage, divorce or adoption record
• Health insurance card or medical record
• Life insurance policy
• Court order for name change
• Church membership

The original documents, or copies certified by the issuing agency, must be presented to the Social Security Administration. No photocopies are accepted.

Once Social Security corrects your record, they will provide an “Erroneous Death Case – Third Party Contact" Notice that you can show to banks, doctors and others to get your accounts back and your life restored.

Hopefully, field offices will be responsive in preparing this document, despite staff shortages and a growing number of the ‘undead’ fighting to restore their lives.

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Stay in the know. Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise sent straight to your inbox every week for free. Subscribe now.

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

Aside from saving for retirement, one of the best things you can do with your money is build an emergency fund. Life happens, and a designated stash of cash can come in handy when you’re suddenly hit with a major car repair or a medical emergency.

Take Kerry, for example. Kerry, a self-employed artist that earns roughly $80,000 a year, was wise enough to create an emergency fund. But thanks to a major home repair that wound up being quite costly, her emergency fund is down to $1,000.

Having experienced the benefit of emergency savings first hand, Kerry knows she needs to rebuild her savings before another potential bump in the road puts her in debt. With this in mind, Kerry is left wondering if she should pause her retirement contributions to rebuild the emergency fund.

To figure out what’s best for Kerry, let’s get into the numbers.

Arguments for and against pausing retirement contributions

First things first, pausing contributions to your retirement savings is generally a bad idea for most people, especially if you have an employer that matches contributions to an RRSP account.

Since Kerry is self-employed, she doesn’t get that matching contribution, so she wouldn’t be giving up as much if she were to pause retirement contributions for a while. She would, however, be losing out on the tax breaks that she would receive from contributing to her retirement accounts, as well as the compound interest that the invested money would earn.

Pausing her retirement contributions, even for a short period, could make a significant difference in Kerry’s retirement nest egg.

At the same time, since she’s self-employed and may face a greater risk of financial problems without emergency savings, there’s a solid argument to be made that Kerry should pause her retirement contributions while she shores up her emergency fund. Otherwise, she could risk going deep into debt if she doesn’t have the money to take care of another major emergency expense.

So, what should Kerry do? One option is to temporarily pause retirement contributions and save up for a mini-emergency fund, then begin splitting her extra money between retirement investments and emergency savings until the latter fund is back to where it should be.

This could be a good approach as she could give herself an financial cushion to fall back on and wouldn’t have to pause retirement contributions for too long, allowing her to slowly build up both her retirement and emergency accounts at the same time.

But if Kerry prefers to maintain her retirement contributions while rebuilding her emergency fund, she’s got to get serious about saving.

Shoring up emergency funds without putting retirement at risk

Unfortunately for Kerry, the cash that she tries to save for her emergency fund is going to have to compete with her living expenses. This makes reallocating her money a little harder to do, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done.

In order to rebuild her emergency fund, Kerry should keep an eye out for any potential options to save some money or boost her income. Here are a few ideas to help Kerry with stashing some cash away for emergencies.

• Budgeting: The first thing Kerry should do is establish a budget that accounts for all of her necessities, while also allowing her to put some money away for her emergency fund. Creating this budget, however, may require a few sacrifices.
• Cut down on spending: As mentioned above, Kerry may have to make some changes in order to save money for her emergency fund. Making meals at home, reducing electricity use, taking advantage of public transportation and cancelling pricey streaming subscriptions are all ways that she can cut down on spending.
• Consider working a side gig: Sometimes cutting down on spending to save money is easier said than done. If Kerry finds this to be true, picking up some extra work on the side could be the solution. Driving for a rideshare service, delivering packages and pet sitting for neighbors are all decent side hustles that could allow Kerry to save some money without sacrificing anything from her personal life and set her own working schedule.
• Sell used items: This could be a good way for Kerry to boost her income and save some money. Depending on what she has that she’s willing to part with, selling used items could fetch a decent return that Kerry could then put straight into her emergency fund.
• Save your windfalls: Putting away cash that lands on her lap, such as a cash birthday gift or tax return, is another good way for Kerry to add to her emergency fund.

In the end, it’s up to Kerry to figure out what works best for her, but the good news is she has a few options to explore.

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

Christopher Boris was struggling in Maryland with a house he couldn’t afford to repair and a disability check that didn’t cover the bills. That’s in the past, though. Now, the retired veteran is enjoying life, spending time with friends, visiting world-famous beaches and hanging out in flip-flops that have become his "staple footwear."

The big change for Boris came when he left the U.S. behind and relocated with his wife, Maria Jesus, to Brazil, where he says life is both more affordable — and more fun.

“My last 10 years in the United States, I’d be going to work, working, coming home, and everybody is focused on themselves,” he told CNN Travel.

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"I feel like I have more social interaction here than I do in the United States. We have a great time listening to music and just talking about normal things.”

The couple joined a growing number of retirees moving abroad because their money stretches much further.

A move to Brazil alleviates money worries

The Boris family opted to move to Brazil when the financial pressure of living in the U.S. got to be too much.

“I really couldn’t afford my mortgage payments and my utilities anymore,” Christopher told CNN. “I struggled. I was living off of VA disability."

Disability benefits are paid to veterans harmed in the line of duty. While they’re tax-free, they often aren’t very generous. For example, effective December 2024, a veteran with a 10% disability rating would receive just $175.51 monthly, although rates go up for those with more disability. With Rent.com reporting you need around $63,200 to live comfortably in Maryland, it wasn’t enough.

The family had been struggling for at least five years, but things got worse in 2022 when Christopher left his government job.

"I could not afford the American dream,” he said, explaining that he and his wife mulled over the move for around a year before deciding to pull the trigger in pursuit of more financial security.

"I think my money could go a lot longer living overseas."

Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan ‘works every single time’ to kill debt, get rich in America — and that ‘anyone’ can do it

Brazil is a popular destination for retirees

The Boris family aren’t the only retirees who struggled in the U.S. — or who abandoned the country for cheaper foreign destinations.

Around half of all families in the U.S. don’t have any retirement savings, according to the Economic Policy Institute. And, the National Council on Aging reports that around 17 million older Americans aged 65 and up are classified as being economically insecure, with annual incomes equal to or below 200% of the federal poverty level.

With that in mind, it’s not surprising that the number of retirees receiving Social Security abroad grew from 431,000 in 2019 to 760,000 in 2024.

For around 85,000 Americans, Brazil is their destination of choice — and the Boris family was drawn to it because they felt it had a lot to offer.

“We chose Brazil, and Rio specifically, because of the higher quality of life,” Christopher said.

“We had first-rate doctors. First-rate everything. You have access to a lot of good-quality services. So that was one of the pluses that we had.”

The couple had initially considered Bolivia, where Maria Jesus was born, but had lived in Brazil in 2007 and 2008 when Christoper was stationed there while serving in the military. They have been very happy with their choice too, thanks to the walkable neighborhood and sense of community.

"We didn’t need a car, because we could get anywhere by taxi. Things like going grocery shopping, buying bread, going to a restaurant, getting a haircut. … Everything was at my disposal.” he said.

"People are a little bit more laidback. And it’s not as stressful as the United States, or the way people perceive us to be.”

While the family still lives on a budget, their money goes much further — especially as the average cost of a one-bedroom monthly rental in the city comes in at around $334 to $604, while you can get a multi-course meal in a mid-range restaurant for around $31 to $41. For his part, Christopher said he saves around $1,000 on monthly rent and spend little on food.

“The dollar goes a long way here,” he told CNN. “I live very comfortably. I just have to live on a budget. … I have to be careful.”

The couple are very happy with their choice and are hoping to become Brazilian residents soon, although they’ve been living on a retirement visa available to those who have at least $2,000 per month in pension income.

How to decide if moving abroad is right for you

The Boris family enjoys the culture of Brazil, although Christopher did admit he’s not a fan of revealing clothing, which seems to be the norm there. He’s also said some areas are not the safest, but he knows how to be careful. In general, though, he enjoys the beach, architecture, sense of community and laid-back lifestyle.

Others considering moving abroad will want to consider the culture they’ll find — as well as amenities, safety risks and living expenses in their chosen destination. There are many cost-of-living calculators and guides to retirement abroad online, and joining expat groups can offer insider info into the best destinations.

The Boris family had the benefit of having lived in Brazil before, others who are thinking about relocating may want to go visit for a few months before making a permanent commitment — to make sure they feel at home like Christopher and Maria Jesus do.

"It feels comfortable," Christopher said, "no longer feeling and dealing with the financial burdens I had in the U.S."

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Stay in the know. Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise sent straight to your inbox every week for free. Subscribe now.

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

An Atlanta property owner says he found part of his home demolished and alleges city workers were responsible, causing extensive damage just as he was planning additional work before he put the property on the market.

WSB-TV 2 Atlanta reported that Ronaldo Norman and his brother, who co-own a real estate investment company, had spent about $200,000 building a home in Southwest Atlanta. But when Norman arrived at the site in May, he says he found a large hole in the side of the house and bulldozers on the property.

"I saw demo bulldozers and a big hole in the side of the property," Norman said to Channel 2 investigative reporter Ashli Lincoln. According to Norman, the damage was caused by city workers — but so far, Atlanta officials haven’t publicly commented on the incident.

Here’s what Norman says happened, and what legal options property owners may have in similar situations.

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Property owner searches for answers on destruction

Norman says he arrived at the site to find demolition equipment and a gaping hole in one of the walls.

"Just think about it, come pulling up to your property, and you see a big hole in the wall, and no one can give me an explanation as to why," Norman complained. Norman alleges city workers took action because they thought his permit had expired.

"May 22, the day after they expired, they came out here and put a hole in my property," Norman told reporters. He maintains the property was still in compliance, claiming he had filed for and received a six-month permit extension before the incident.

Whether a home is under renovation or fully built, city governments must follow a legal process before demolishing a structure. Generally, a property owner would receive notice along with time to rectify any issues.

Norman says he never received any such notice. City official’s only response, he claims, has been to advise him to seek legal counsel.

"This right here is a major setback because now we may have foundation issues," Norman said.

Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan ‘works every single time’ to kill debt, get rich in America — and that ‘anyone’ can do it

What protections do homeowners have — and what can you do if this happens to you?

While rare, incidents like this show how important it is for property owners to protect their investments and to act quickly if something goes wrong.

With no answers from Atlanta officials, the Normans may have to pursue legal action to recoup their losses. Here’s what that process could look like — and what other homeowners should know if they ever find themselves in a similar situation.

Consult a lawyer Because of a legal concept called sovereign immunity, suing a city can be complicated, but Georgia law does allow homeowners to file claims for damages, as long as they follow the right process.

File a notice of claim This is a formal document notifying the city that you intend to pursue compensation. The time for doing so varies by State and Municipality and can be relatively short; your local lawyer should know this. Missing this deadline could prevent your case from moving forward.

Collect all documentation This includes:

• Building permits and extension filings
• Photos or videos showing the damage
• Invoices and receipts for materials and labor
• Emails or letters from city agencies
• Any inspection reports or code violation notices (or proof that none were issued)

Request records from the city Filing an Open Records Request may reveal internal miscommunications or mistaken permit data that triggered the demolition.

Get a damage assessment A structural engineer or contractor can help assess whether foundational damage occurred and provide estimates to use in a claim.

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

West Fargo resident Mary Pickarell was thrilled to get a text that appeared to be from Travis Kelce’s mother, Donna — known to cheer on her football star son alongside his superstar girlfriend, Taylor Swift.

The text said Pickarell had won a special Mother’s Day prize: a personal visit from Swift herself and a brand-new pickup truck courtesy of the pop sensation.

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As the local media outlet Valley News Live reports, Pickarell was told all she needed to do to arrange delivery of the pickup was pay a $100 fee via a Walmart gift card, which she promptly did.

Pickarell couldn’t believe her luck. Turns out she shouldn’t have believed it. Neither Swift nor the truck ever arrived.

“I went into tears,” Pickarell said. “No part of me thought it sounded off. I was just anxious to meet Taylor Swift in person.”

Celebrity scams are on the rise

Pickarell discovered she’d been the victim of a cruel scam after calling the Valley News Live team.

They advised her to contact the police. While Pickarell did just that, it was too late to get her $100 back — a concern given that she’s on disability with limited income.

“I want to let everyone know there are scammers out there and they will get older people,” Pickarell advised. “Don’t believe anything unless you talk to your family, friends, police, even the news.”

Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan ‘works every single time’ to kill debt, get rich in America — and that ‘anyone’ can do it

Pickarell is one of countless people to lose money to an impersonator. According to the Federal Trade Commission, victims lost $2.95 billion to imposter scams in 2024.

Such scams take different forms, including criminals pretending to be from the government, family members in trouble or celebrities like Swift. The con artists use high-pressure tactics and may even manipulate people’s fear, demanding sensitive information or unusual payment methods — like gift cards, as Pickarall was asked to provide.

In recent years, the rise of AI has led to an increase in celebrity scams.

The AARP reports that criminals have gotten much more sophisticated than just sending fake texts like the one Pickarell received.

They’re now making convincing deep-fake videos appearing as someone famous to get people to part with their funds. Celebrity scam scenarios include:

Romance scams where victims are convinced they’re in a relationship with a celebrity who then begins to ask for money. Merchandise, investment or crypto scams that use fake celebrity endorsements. Fake prizes, like the Taylor Swift pickup truck scam that ensnared Pickarell.

One recent example of how AI has been used in this way involves a woman who paid $160K to a fake Keanu Reeves after she saw a video and, convinced it was the actor, fell for a romance scam.

In May, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a warning about such scams.

"While it may be disappointing to hear, you are probably not in a secret, long-distance relationship with Garth Brooks,” she said. “If someone claiming to be Garth or any other famous figure is asking you personally for money, don’t send it. It’s almost certainly a scam.”

How to avoid falling for a fake-celebrity scam

The FTC advises searching for the celebrity’s name and the product or charity they appear to be endorsing online along with the word "scam.”

If you do fall for a scam and send money to a con artist, the FTC advises calling the police and the financial services firm or gift-card company you used for the transaction to report the fraud and request help recovering your funds.

When you report the incident to authorities, you can help with investigations that will help prevent others from being blinded — and blindsided — by star-power scams.

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Stay in the know. Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise sent straight to your inbox every week for free. Subscribe now.

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

Clotilde "Wendy" Sawadogo and her husband Patrice once owned a pair of buildings in Brooklyn, but the New York City couple says they were deceived 13 years ago after seeking the help of an expert to sell the properties.

"It was a trick," Sawadogo told News 12 Brooklyn in a story published June 6. "Tricking him (her husband) to sign over the deed."

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On June 5, Sanford Solny, a disbarred attorney, was convicted of stealing the deeds of 11 properties from 15 victims over a 10-year period. According to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, the victims were primarily minority homeowners in financial distress.

"He stole our lives," Sawadogo said.

Solny now faces up to seven years in prison. Here’s how the scheme worked, and how homeowners can protect themselves.

Disbarred lawyer’s fraud scheme

The DA’s office says Solny targeted homeowners in foreclosure and presented himself as a financial expert. He told victims he could negotiate with lenders to sell their homes for less than what was owed on the mortgage. Making false statements, he tricked them into signing over their deeds to companies he owned.

Sawadogo says she and her husband were rushed through the paperwork before the eviction process suddenly started, per News 12.

The DA says the fraud took place between 2012 and 2022. Solny’s law licence was suspended in 2012 and he was disbarred in 2023. He’s scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 17.

News 12 reports the DA’s office confirmed a judge would be signing an order to nullify the fraudulent deeds. Sawadogo is hopeful she and her husband will get their properties back.

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The local broadcaster reached out to Solny’s attorney, who replied with a statement:

"While we believe that the evidence supported an acquittal on all charges, we were grateful for the acquittals on the majority of the charges," his lawyer said. "There are myriad appellate issues which will be vigorously pursued in future proceedings."

How you can avoid deed theft

Solny’s crime was a type of deed theft or home title fraud. This occurs when someone takes title to a home by arranging for the deed to be transferred to them — typically without the actual property owner knowing or understanding what’s happening.

Deed theft or title fraud can occur the way it did with the Sawadogos, where the couple is tricked into signing over the deed. It can also occur when a criminal pretends to be the owner of a vacant property and signs the deed over to themselves. From there, the deed holder can sell the home or get a mortgage or HELOC on it that’s never paid back.

Homeowners need to protect themselves from this type of fraud and can do so by:

• Checking regularly on the title with the state’s land records office and, where available, signing up for alerts when a legal change to the title of a property occurs
• Checking credit reports regularly to watch for new, unexpected mortgages or home equity loans
• Making sure bills come regularly and investigating if they’re missing

Homeowners also need to be careful who they trust for help, which means only working with a licensed real estate agent or licensed attorney when they need assistance, and checking with their state’s disciplinary board to ensure that the professional they hire is in good standing.

For the Sawadogos, it’s already too late to undo what happened and get back the lost years in their home — but other property owners should be vigilant and make sure they, too, don’t get tricked by a bad actor who pretends to want to help.

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

For 55 years, workers in and around Rancho Cucamonga, California, have reported to work at a local Frito-Lay factory — birthplace of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and potato chips.

But now as KTLA reports, parent company PepsiCo is shutting down production there, displacing hundreds of Frito-Lay employees.

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Some teams will remain, including those who work in warehousing, distribution and transportation teams.

"We are truly grateful for all the support over the last five decades from our Rancho Cucamonga manufacturing team as well as the local community," a company statement read.

Many long-time employees who have been laid off will receive 10 weeks’ severance pay along with transitionary health benefits.

Here’s why the factory is closing down, along with some tips on how laid-off workers can remain on firm financial footing

PepsiCo is closing multiple facilities amidst financial struggles

While PepsiCo did not provide specific details as to why it was winding down Frito-Lay production at Rancho Cucamunga, shifting consumer demand has impacted the company’s bottom line.

As CNN reports, many Americans are cutting back on salty and savory snacks because of cost.

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In February, PepsiCo reported a 3% drop in fourth-quarter earnings from Frito-Lay brand snacks in North America.

In April, PepsiCo also lowered its 2025 earnings expectations in April, citing "elevated levels of volatility and uncertainty."

Meanwhile, it also shuttered a Frito-Lay production facility in Liberty, New York — affecting nearly 300 plant workers — and a Frito-Lay storage site in Aberdeen, Maryland, where 56 workersl lost their jobs.

What to do if you’re laid off

Try to negotiate a severance package. It isn’t always available, but it’s always worth asking for. Consider consulting with an employment lawyer to assist you with this, and to discuss other things you may want as part of such a package, including stock options, career transition support and health coverage.

Apply for unemployment benefits as soon as possible, and explore other financial assistance options. Keep in mind that any severance package you receive will affect your unemployment benefits and the point at which you receive them.

Investigate health-care coverage. Staying on your employer’s group health plan is an option thanks to federal law (COBRA), but you’ll have to pay the premiums once your employer stops doing so. This is an expensive proposition.

Alternatively, you may look at broader insurance options where you may qualify for a reduction on your monthly premiums or low-cost coverage through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program

Work on your budget and cut costs wherever you can so you can search for a new job — including the time it takes to network and update your resume — without racking up a lot of debt.

Hopefully, the same creativity that led to Rancho Cucamunga workers to develop Flamin’ Hot Cheetos will help them identify new work opportunities as the economic landscape shifts.

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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

St. Louis’ Blake and Sarah Anyan’s story begins as a fairy tale. The high-school sweethearts were expecting their first baby.

The couple chose Mercy Hospital — dubbed ‘The Baby Palace on Ballas’ — for prenatal care, labor and delivery. They chose the hospital not only because it is known for its obstetrics care, but because Sarah was employed there as a cardiac nurse and Blake worked there as a respiratory therapist.

Sarah’s pregnancy was a typical one, with her active baby kicking her often on her nursing shifts. When she went into labor, she headed to the hospital to welcome her baby boy Remi. That’s where everything went wrong.

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What happened next would change the couple’s lives forever and lead to a record-setting $48.1 million verdict against the hospital for its failures.

Baby suffered severe harm in labor, delivery

Sarah was given an epidural at 10:42 p.m. At 3:50 a.m., she began pushing. Pushing for more than three hours is dangerous. She pushed for 12 hours.

The couple, who trusted their health team, weren’t offered a C-section or told of the risks of prolonged pushing.

“Speaking as a nurse, I was really, really disappointed that they didn’t share that with me," Sarah told News Alert 4 in St. Louis.

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Another thing the health team didn’t reveal? That their baby boy Remi was in distress during the prolonged labor.

To their shock, when Remi was delivered, he was floppy, didn’t cry, had poor tone and began having seizures.

“We were pretty much blindsided,” Sarah said.

Sadly, their son suffered severe and permanent harm. Now 5 years old, Remi has full cognition but can’t walk or communicate. He has cerebral palsy.

“It’s just a major travesty,” Blake said. “It hurts us as parents, but it also hurts us as care providers. That’s so far away from what we’ve been taught to do, and what I teach my students to do. It’s just heartbreaking.”

The Anyans filed a malpractice lawsuit against Mercy Hospital, its nurses and their obstetrician Dr. Daniel McNeive for medical negligence.

Medical malpractice laws hold providers accountable if the care they provide falls below a professional standard. Birth injuries are a top reason for malpractice claims.

Expert witnesses said expecting a mother in labor to push for 12 hours was inexcusable, adding that the hospital failed to respond properly after Remi was born. One possible intervention — therapeutic hypothermia — could have reduced his injuries by up to 30%.

The couple won their malpractice suit. The jury awarded them $48.1 million in the verdict, of which $20 million was for punitive damages.

"So grateful that they took what happened seriously and didn’t give up faith in Remi, and that they would try and help him move forward," Blake said.

Mercy is appealing the ruling. In a statement, they wrote:

"We stand by the care provided by our team … No evidence was ever introduced suggesting dangerous patterns or practices of behavior by Mercy or Dr. McNeive, nor did the jury make this finding. The case remains pending with the court, and Mercy will continue to seek appropriate resolution for the benefit of the Anyan family.”

What can malpractice victims do?

The Anyans aren’t the only ones harmed by a medical error. A Johns Hopkins study found that medical errors are the third-leading cause of death in the U.S.

Top reasons for malpractice suits include:

• failure to diagnose/delayed diagnosis
• radiology errors, such as misreading X-rays
• failure to obtain informed consent
• surgical errors, such as operating on the wrong body part or leaving instruments inside patients
• anesthesia errors
• medication errors

Victims of malpractice must demonstrate they were damaged by medical negligence and deserve compensation for losses. If successful, they are owed payment for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and emotional distress.

However, many states cap non-economic damages (for pain and distress) at $500,000 or less.

If you or someone you love has experienced medical negligence, it’s important to take legal action quickly. There are time limits for pursuing a claim — usually within one to four years of discovering your injuries — so don’t wait.

If legal costs concern you, you can work with a personal injury lawyer on a contingency-fee basis. Such lawyers offer free case evaluations and don’t charge legal fees upfront. They subtract legal fees from any compensation they recover on your behalf.

To support your case, gather and maintain all the documentation you can — medical records, names of your care team, and records of any followup care you have received as a result of your injuries.

The Anyans took action not only to advocate for themselves, but to inspire others — as Sarah tells her son Remi.

“You’ve got two choices in life. You can be angry and bitter and hang on to that anger your whole life. Or you can choose to inspire people," Sarah said. "And I tell him that all the time — he’s going to inspire people."

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Stay in the know. Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise sent straight to your inbox every week for free. Subscribe now.

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.