On Christmas Day, a woman picked up her 74-year-old mother's phone and found messages from someone she didn't recognize.
What she uncovered had been unfolding for nearly a year, cost her mom hundreds of thousands of dollars, and started with something millions of people do every day.
And to her mom, none of it felt suspicious.
That's what can make scams like this so difficult to recognize, even for careful, intelligent people.
But other financial threats don't require criminals to earn your trust at all.
In this episode, I'm sharing what her story can teach us about protecting our money.
I'm also sharing what you need to know about passkeys, a newer (and safer!) way to sign in to your online accounts.
Here's what you'll learn:
→ 4 simple habits that can make it harder for scammers to earn your trust
→ How passkeys work, the 3 places to store them, and what happens if you lose your phone
→ How criminals can sometimes access your accounts without needing your password, passkey, or verification code
The best protection is layered: stronger security on your accounts, a few simple habits, and someone you trust to call before you act.
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📥 Grab Your Free Retirement Security Checklist:
This 9-page guide helps you close the most common security gaps in about an hour.
Inside, you'll find family scam-prevention rules, passkey and credit freeze guides, and a plan for what to do if something goes wrong.
→ Download the Checklist Here
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📆 Book a Call With Our Team:
Your retirement involves complex, interconnected decisions—taxes, income, healthcare, estate planning, investments.
See how they fit together in one coordinated strategy built around your numbers.
👉 Learn More and Book a Call Here
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Episode Resources:
→ Grab the Episode Show Notes
→ Get Your FREE Tax-Smart Retirement Toolkit
→ Learn About the Total Retirement System™