According to the Federal Trade Commission $2.6 million consumers reported losing more than $10 billion to fraud in 2023. Have you ever been scammed? Are you prepared to fight against the criminals that are seeking to steal your hard-earned money? Emory Thomas, a retired financial planner & advisor, with decades of experience, shares how to avoid fraud and financial scams on this edition of THE EXPLORING AGING PODCAST, with your hosts Ray Sanders, Dr. Bill Pierce and Greg McNeece.

00:00:00: Introduction to the podcast and the topic of fraud

00:00:31: Guest introduction: Emory Thomas, retired financial planner

00:00:57: Highlights from the previous podcast episode

00:02:05: Welcoming Emory Thomas and co-hosts

00:02:22: Discussion about Emory's background and character

00:02:47: Importance of transferring values along with valuables

00:04:28: Emory as a marketplace minister

00:05:27: The seriousness of fraud and scams

00:06:29: Statistics on fraud from 2022 and 2023

00:07:09: Introduction to Emory's perspective on scams

00:08:45: Phone scam example involving grandparents

00:11:01: The rise of AI in scams

00:13:13: Realistic fake audio and video used in scams

00:15:08: Ways to verify the identity of financial advisors

00:16:05: Advice on being cautious with unknown contacts

00:17:12: Story of a potential phone scam involving the Oklahoma City Philharmonic

00:18:09: Caller ID manipulation in scams

00:19:01: Spotting and defending against phishing emails

00:19:47: Introduction to phone number verification

00:20:24: Complexity of scams and their dangers

00:21:04: Reporting fraud to the FTC

00:23:09: Importance of secure communication

00:24:00: Awareness and steps to avoid scams

00:25:08: Challenges with AI-generated content

00:27:02: Living in a world where you can't trust what you see

00:28:57: Encouragement to live life despite risks

00:30:13: Emphasis on being careful but active

00:31:17: Closing thoughts on healthy skepticism