Dear Heloise: Scammers are at it again! Now that so many people shop online, scammers are putting out notices that a package couldn’t be delivered to your home or office. They’ll give you an order number that is miles long and add words such as “delayed” or “pending verification.” It’s just a scam.

First, look at the return address of the sender. It’ll be lengthy and totally unrelated to the company that they claim to represent.

Second, when have you ever had to prove you are who you say you are to receive a package that was addressed to you? If the box has your address on it, it should have been delivered to your doorstep, and if you aren’t home, they generally leave it on your porch. (That is, unless you ordered the Hope Diamond!)

Toward the bottom of the notice is a box telling you to click on it to verify that it’s really you. Whatever you do, don’t click on that part of this fake notice. If you do, you might give them access to your computer or personal information.

These aren’t harmless emails.  Scams like this are designed to cheat you out of everything the scammers can get. You can be certain that they’ll at least try to get into your bank account or get ahold of your credit or debit card numbers. So, make sure that you delete and report the email.

Never give a scammer the chance to take advantage of you. — Eric D., Washington, D.C.

TOOTHPASTE CLEANING USES

Did you know that your toothpaste is actually flavored soap? Here are a few things you can clean with a non-whitening toothpaste and an old toothbrush:

— Copper: Use a soft cloth, and in a circular motion, buff the copper. Then rinse with warm water and dry. If the copper is heavily tarnished, let the toothpaste sit for 10-15 minutes before rubbing or rinsing.

— Dirty tennis shoes: Use toothpaste on all the leather or non-fabric surfaces.

— Hair tools and appliances: Clean a curling rod or hair straightener.

— Stains: Get crayon marks off your wall with toothpaste and a medium bristle brush.

GAINING WEIGHT?

Dear Heloise: I used to be a professional model, and as such, I had to keep my weight down in order to fit into those beautiful clothes. However, like most people, I had my sad days when things would go wrong, but I quickly learned that things didn’t get better if I ate ice cream or pigged out on food. So, here are a few hints I used to stay slim:

— Always eat something for breakfast, even if it’s only toast. A cup of black coffee and a cigarette simply isn’t enough fuel to keep you going all morning.

— Put your fork down three or four times per meal and chew slowly.

— Be mindful of what you are eating. Ask yourself: Does it nourish my body? Never let junk food cross your threshold. Also, if you don’t have it in the house, you’re less tempted to eat food like cookies, cakes, etc.

— Get off the couch and go for a walk. Keep moving. Sometimes getting out of the house lifts your spirits and makes us see that many of our problems have solutions or aren’t as big as we thought. — Maggie H., West Palm Beach, Florida

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Hints from Heloise run occasionally in Lifestyles. Readers may send a hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, fax it to 210-HELOISE, or email: Heloise@Heloise.com. Letters won’t be answered personally.