Episodes

We all make mistakes, and last week I made a mistake with sharing my screen. So, here is a redo on how to determine the safety of a website. Last week you saw my notes for the episode and today you will see how I use R.O.S.E.'s website to show you what to look for and some online sources you can use to determine the safety of websites. Let’s Talk About Scams is broadcast live Tuesdays at 8AM PT on K4HD Radio - Hollywood Talk Radio (www.k4hd.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (www.talk4radio.com) on the ...

Last week we discussed a few of the scams that had a profound effect in 2024 on the 60+ year old population in the United States. The type of crime that had the most impact on this population, with almost 195,000 victims, is phishing/spoofing. In this episode we talk about safe websites safe by looking at Microsoft Defender Web protection and how to check if a website is malicious/scam or safe/legit. We have used our website as an example to show you what to look for with these tools. Let’s Tal...

The last two weeks we talked about the 2024 FBI IC3 report and the related statistics in addition to how scams have evolved over the years. In this episode we are going to dive into the top two scams with the most amount of losses in 2024 for older adults - investment and tech support scams. Listen in to learn more about these two scams and how to protect yourself. Let’s Talk About Scams is broadcast live Tuesdays at 8AM PT on K4HD Radio - Hollywood Talk Radio (www.k4hd.com) part of Talk 4 Radi...

Scams have changed so much over the past 20 years. Scammers are no longer lone wolves, but part of organized criminal gangs that will take everything you have. They are truly ruthless financial predators. Let’s Talk About Scams is broadcast live Tuesdays at 8AM PT on K4HD Radio - Hollywood Talk Radio (www.k4hd.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (www.talk4radio.com) on the Talk 4 Media Network (www.talk4media.com). Let’s Talk About Scams TV Show is viewed on Talk 4 TV (www.talk4tv.com). Let’s Talk About...

The FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center 2024 annual report is out. The statistics are not good and going in the wrong direction. Losses increased by 33% in the United States and 43% increase in losses with the 60+ year old population. Tune in while Joyce reviews the report as it relates to the 60+ year old population in the United States and Arizona. Let’s Talk About Scams is broadcast live Tuesdays at 8AM PT on K4HD Radio - Hollywood Talk Radio (www.k4hd.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (www.talk4rad...

New FBI Public Service Announcement on April 18, 20205. Criminal scammers are impersonating the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) employees. Almost all the reports filed reflect that the scammer claims to have recovered the victim's lost funds or offers to assist in recovering the funds. The IC3 will never directly communicate with individuals via phone, email, social media, phone apps, public forums, etc. Read the full FBI PSA herehttps://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2025/PSA250418 Let’s Talk About...

Today is tax day! Do you have your IRS IP Pin? Do you know what an IRS IP Pin is? Joyce will discuss her experience with tax related identity theft when someone filed a tax return in her name and social security number. A six digit IP Pin could have...

We all use USB cables for charging and data transfer. How do you know if the USB cable you have is good or does it have malicious hacker hardware? Tune in to learn the signs that a USB cable has malicious hacker hardware, how to protect yourself, highly rated USB cables, and cell phone settings. What about power blocks - should you use those instead of plugging into public charging stations? Let’s Talk About Scams is broadcast live Tuesdays at 8AM PT on K4HD Radio - Hollywood Talk Radio (www.k4...

Lynn is back for Antivirus, Malware, and EDR - Part 2 - How Artificial Intelligence Affects These Protections. Tune in to learn how AI can affect these protection tools. These cyber-criminals are working overtime to bypass these protections. Tune in to see what protections you can take to protect yourself. Let’s Talk About Scams is broadcast live Tuesdays at 8AM PT on K4HD Radio - Hollywood Talk Radio (www.k4hd.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (www.talk4radio.com) on the Talk 4 Media Network (www.talk...

Antivirus, malware and EDR are not just for your desktop. It is important to have this on all of your devices, including your mobile phone. How easy is it to accidentally click on a malicious link on your mobile phone? Very easy! Joyce and Lynndel talk about the differences of antivirus, malware and EDR protection and the free vs. paid subscriptions. Let’s Talk About Scams is broadcast live Tuesdays at 8AM PT on K4HD Radio - Hollywood Talk Radio (www.k4hd.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (www.talk4rad...

Joyce talks with Dr. Martina Dove about Pig Butchering Scam and persuasive psychological techniques. Learn how scammers conversations elicit commitment and consistency by using social norms and visceral influence to their advantage. Dr. Martina Dove is on R.O.S.E.'s Advisory Board and is passionate researcher with a background in psychology and specific expertise in social engineering, scam techniques, persuasion, and individual characteristics that contribute to susceptibility to scams. Let’s ...

How many text messages do you get in a day? We are all busy with life and text messages add to this. We are deep into work, your phone pings, we immediately look at the text. The message seems official and has a sense of urgency. We click on the link, input our personal information and credit card and go back to work. We just fell for a phishing scam. Remember to pause and think about the text message. Do not engage, do your research and make a determination if the message is real or scam. Le...

Are you on social media? Scammers are on social media too hijacking and cloning accounts wanting to be your friend. Sometimes it is hard to tell if the friend request is a real account or a scammer's account. In this episode we talk about different scams that have been found on Facebook and what you can do to protect yourself. Let’s Talk About Scams is broadcast live Tuesdays at 8AM PT on K4HD Radio - Hollywood Talk Radio (www.k4hd.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (www.talk4radio.com) on the Talk 4 Me...

Has someone filed a tax return in your name? What a mess! Joyce talks about her current experience with a fraudulent tax return filed in her name and social security number. The process she is going through and how long it could take to resolve. What...

Scammers love to impersonate Publisher's Clearing House and a lot of other well known companies. This week Joyce is talking with Brian Watson, Community Outreach Specialist with R.O.S.E., who shares a real life experience of someone he met who fell victim to this type of scam. Tune in to learn more about how this impersonation scam works and what you can to protect yourself. Let’s Talk About Scams is broadcast live Tuesdays at 8AM PT on K4HD Radio - Hollywood Talk Radio (www.k4hd.com) part of T...

In this episode, Joyce will breakdown scams into three different parts using the Anatomy of a Scam Infographic. There are so many scams out there and scammers are constantly changing their tactics and techniques which makes it very difficult to keep up with them. R.O.S.E. created the Anatomy of a Scam to better understand scams in general. Tune in an be better prepared to recognize a scam. Let’s Talk About Scams is broadcast live Tuesdays at 8AM PT on K4HD Radio - Hollywood Talk Radio (www.k4...

Let's Talk About Scams, hosted by Joyce Petrowski, President and Founder of R.O.S.E., nonprofit focused on preventing financial exploitation of older adults. Find more information and sign up for our newsletters at www.roseadvocacy.org. We want everyone to have a healthy skepticism and know how to protect themselves from scams. Joyce is joined by Gordie Siewert, with Acacia IT at acaciait.com. We will explore hacking, data breaches, apps & data collection and how to protect yourself. Let’s T...

This episode of “Let’s Talk About Scams,” host Joyce Petrowski, founder of R.O.S.E. Resources / Outreach to Safeguard the Elderly, explores the troubling world of puppy scams with insights from cybersecurity expert Jim Stickley. Joyce shares a heartbreaking story about a family who fell victim to a fraudulent puppy sale on Facebook. The scam involved multiple payments for a non-existent puppy, leaving the family financially and emotionally devastated. Joyce emphasizes the importance of due dilig...

In this episode of "Let's Talk About Scams," host Joyce Petrowski welcomes Zachary from Riavanti, a senior move management company. Zachary provides valuable insights into the role of senior move managers, explaining how they assist seniors in downsizing and moving into new homes or senior communities. The discussion covers the personalized services offered by Riavanti, including sorting, packing, coordinating with movers, and ensuring a smooth transition for seniors. The importance of the Natio...

In this episode of "Let's Talk About Scams," host Joyce Petrowski welcomes George Phillips, the business development manager at Just-In Time Moving (jitmoving.com) and a member of the Arizona Movers Association. George shares valuable insights on how to choose a reputable moving company, focusing on the unique challenges and considerations for elderly individuals and interstate moves. He highlights the importance of verifying a moving company's credentials, such as their Department of Transporta...

In this episode of “Let’s Talk About Scams,” host Joyce Petrowski, founder of R.O.S.E. Rose Resources / Outreach to Safeguard the Elderly, welcomes Laurel Smith, a seasoned professional in the senior care industry, to discuss the differences between home health and home care. They discuss the essential details of what each service entails, the importance of using reputable agencies, and the potential pitfalls of hiring private caregivers. Laurel shares valuable insights on safeguarding the elder...

In this episode of "Let's Talk About Scams," host Joyce Petrowski, founder of R.O.S.E. Rose Resources / Outreach to Safeguard the Elderly, discusses recent scams targeting consumers, including the significant Ticketmaster data breach that compromised the personal information of 560 million customers. Joyce shares practical tips on how to protect yourself from fraud, such as monitoring your credit reports, setting up alerts on your credit card accounts, and using multi-factor authentication. She ...

Welcome to another episode of “Let’s Talk About Scams,” hosted by Joyce Petrowski, founder of R.O.S.E. Resources / Outreach to Safeguard the Elderly. In this episode, Joyce discusses the alarming rise of Bluetooth-related scams with Paige Hanson from SecureLabs. They dive into various threats such as Blue Snarfing, Blue Bugging, Blue Jacking, and Blue Smacking, explaining how cybercriminals exploit Bluetooth connections to steal information, send malicious messages, and cause disruption. Paige p...

This episode of “Let’s Talk About Scams,” host Joyce Petrowski, founder of R.O.S.E. Resources / Outreach to Safeguard the Elderly, welcomes Connie, a recent victim of a tech support scam. Connie shares her harrowing experience of how she was deceived into giving scammers access to her computer under the pretense of a McAfee auto-renewal notice. This episode dives deep into the psychological tricks used by scammers to create urgency and manipulate emotions, leading to a significant financial loss...