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Lego Company announces there are too many Legos out there
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The Lego Ninjago Movie is now on Blu-ray, DVD and various streaming sites. - photo by Herb Scribner
Parents, youre not alone. Lego admitted this week that it has created way too many bricks.

The company said this week that its sales have fallen for the first time in 13 years, adding that too much stock might be the reason, according to CNN Money.

The company said that its annual revenue dropped 8 percent in 2017. This happened after the companys long stretch of rapid growth following a new amount of Star Wars-themed toys and the release of The Lego Movie.

Lego Group CEO Niels Christiansen said there isnt a quick fix for the company and it might take some time to rebuild since Lego is so large and spans the globe.

"Overall we are not satisfied with the financial results," he said. "There is no quick fix and it will take some time to achieve longer term growth," he added.

The toymaker also said too much stock, along with drops in sales, led to a poor performance in 2017.

"There wasn't enough room to get 2017 toys into the stores, and the toy trade is driven by newness," a Lego spokeswoman told BBC.

In fact, toy analysts Matthew Hudak told CNN that the companys continued success may have led to less demand, which led to a drop in sales numbers.

"Households can have too many Lego products and not want more each year," Hudak said.

In September 2017, Lego cut 1,400 jobs after suffering from weak demand over a new Batman toy line, according to Bloomberg. The company said at the time it was heading toward its worst decline in a decade.

Lego said at the time that it would reduce its companys workforce by 8 percent, despite a run of success that ballooned its workforce to more than 18,200 employees.

Were losing momentum and were losing productivity, Chairman Jorgen Vig Knudstorp told Bloomberg at the time. We have built an increasingly complex organization. This could ultimately lead to stagnation or decline.

Lego will continue to make products, though. The company announced a new sustainable, plant-based toy that will be made from sugarcane, according to CNBC.

The company said it hopes to have all sustainable products by 2030.
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New Medicare cards are in the mail and scammers are on the prowl
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has begun mailing new Medicare Health Insurance ID cards. The program no longer uses Social Security numbers to identify people. - photo by Lois M Collins
The federal government is beginning to send out new ID cards to the 58 million Americans who benefit from Medicare. But since many of the people who will receive them don't know they're coming or why, scammers are already gearing up to take advantage.

An AARP survey shows as many as three-fourths of Americans 65 and older have no idea the cards are coming, so some individuals may be duped with claims that they're supposed to pay a fee or provide personal information that will be used, instead, to defraud them.

The new cards are the first reissue in years, and the most striking part of the redesign is that the cards no longer carry the beneficiary's Social Security number. Congress mandated the removal of that number as an identifier for Medicare beneficiaries by next April. Instead, the card has a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier number, an 11-digit combination of numbers and letters.

The new Medicare cards are now being mailed out in batches, starting with the Eastern seaboard and moving west. Most Medicare beneficiaries will receive their cards over the next six months, as long as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has their correct mailing address. Once the cards are in hand, people can share the new identification number with their health care providers. During a transition period, either card is valid.

The old cards, which used Social Security numbers as the personal identification number, should be destroyed.

AARP recently launched an education campaign to warn consumers about scams related to the new Medicare cards.

The membership organization's "Fraud Watch" consultant, Frank Abagnale reformed con man, scammer and the subject of the movie and book "Catch Me If You Can" tells senior citizens the only time they need to carry the actual Medicare card is to health care appointments. Otherwise, it should be left in a safe place. If they want to carry one in their wallet or purse, he says, make a copy and black out the first seven numbers.

Since the cards were announced, scammers have already:

  • Called seniors and asked for their bank account information so that money on their old card could be returned. There is no money on the old card and CMS never asks for personal information over the phone.
  • Offered to send the new card after Medicare beneficiaries pay a $25 fee to cover expenses related to the card. The card is free.
  • Said the card will be mailed out as soon as the older person verifies his or her Social Security number, mailing address and other personal information. CMS already knows the beneficiary's Social Security number and it's no longer being used in conjunction with health care.
AARP and the Federal Trade Commission will hold a free online seminar about the cards and the fraud attempts they have spawned on Thursday, April 19, at 7 p.m. EDT. Register at: www.aarp.org/FraudWebinar. CMS also offers a "frequently asked questions" guide to the new cards.

The AARP Fraud Watch Network says consumers can sign up for its Watchdog Alert emails that deliver breaking scam information, or call a free helpline at 877-908-3360 to speak with volunteers trained in fraud counseling. Abagnale also hosts a weekly podcast for AARP, called The Perfect Scam.
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