Dear Readers: Recently, we have been getting letters from readers who say they get emails and text messages telling them that the bank has frozen their account due a number of things. Some are told there has been suspicious activity in their account or that the IRS requested that their account be frozen, and all sorts of other silly reasons.

The scammers provide a phone number, and if you call that phone number, they say they’ll straighten out the problem, but first they need your bank account number, Social Security number and other personal information.

Do NOT respond if this happens to you. Call your bank, but look up your bank’s phone number. Do NOT use the number the scammer provides. Always safeguard your personal financial information. — Heloise

SEND A GREAT HINT TO:

Heloise

P.O. Box 795001

San Antonio, TX 78279-5001

Fax: 1-210-HELOISE

Email: Heloise@Heloise.com

HEAVY DELIVERY

Dear Heloise: My neighbor called me and asked me to help her move a very heavy box from her porch to her bedroom. She had bought a bed that needed to be assembled, and the delivery guy just dumped the box on her steps rather than bring it to her door. He didn’t even ring the doorbell to let her know she had a delivery.

When I went to her house, I could see that the two of us could not carry the box inside. It was just too heavy. She was worried because rain was on its way and would ruin her new wooden bed. I opened the box, and we took out the parts one or two at a time, and before you know it, we had the entire bed inside and ready to be assembled.

The point is that if something is too heavy to move, get friends to help you or open the box and remove the parts one at a time. Use sliders if you have to, but remember, every problem has a solution. — Carrie M., Miami, Florida

Carrie, you’re right. Many times the solution is really very simple. We just need to think things through. As the old saying goes: “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” — Heloise

EASY TO LOCATE

Dear Heloise: Because of my husband’s job, we have been transferred several times. That means packing and moving. And this is the system I use: Each box gets a number. Then, in a small notebook, I write the box number. Under the number I write the contents inside the box. No more going crazy looking for clean towels. — Hillary S., Derby, Connecticut

CLEAN WATER

Dear Heloise: Our beaches are getting littered with all sorts of trash as more and more people go to the beaches to play and cool off in the heat. If any of your readers are heading off to a beach somewhere, please ask them to bag all their trash, especially plastic items.

And if they would, pick up and throw away any trash they happen to find on our shores. Our waterways have become a national disgrace, with pollution and garbage scattered everywhere. It’s our country, so let’s keep it clean. — Kenneth H., Rosemount, Minnesota

WASHING AN ELECTRIC BLANKET

Dear Heloise: I have an electric blanket. The care instructions say to wash it by hand, which I do with Woolite detergent in the tub.

When done, I squeeze out as much of the water as I can. Then I put the blanket in the washing machine and run it on the spin cycle twice (7 minutes each). Then I spread the blanket over a rack or some chairs to dry overnight. I read your column in the Houston Chronicle. — Patricia Roberts, Bellaire, Texas

HEATING MILK

Dear Heloise: Mary Jane wrote about heating milk in the microwave for a cook-and-serve pudding. While she’s at it, she should just make the pudding in the microwave. It’s better than standing at the stove and stirring constantly. Just cook it in 2-minute intervals, stirring after each interval, until pudding is thick — about 6 minutes. I read your column online in the Whittier Daily News, and enjoy sharing hints that I like with my daughter. — Lois McKinney, Winchester, Oregon

ANOTHER PUDDING HINT

Dear Heloise: I am an 85-year-old widower, and I have been cooking pudding rather easily in the microwave by stirring the powder and milk together and then microwaving in 1-minute intervals until it thickens and sets. It is a lot easier than standing over a hot stove and stirring. — Stephen Finner, Ph.D., Barre, Vermont