Episode 15: Scams Are Getting Smarter—Are You?

From fake IRS calls and toll ticket texts to AI voice clones—scammers are evolving, and fast. In 2024, U.S. consumers lost over $16.6 billion to scams. Globally, it’s more than $1 trillion.We’re breaking down the latest scams, how they work, who they target—and how to protect yourself before your money (or identity) disappears.Why Should We Care About Scams?💸 $1 trillion lost globally to scams and fraud in 2024 🔐 The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was gutted, just when we need it most 👵 Older adults lose the most money, but Gen Z is the most frequent target ⚖️ Fewer legal protections mean less help if you get scammedWhat Can You Do?🔒 Use VPNs on public Wi-Fi 🚫 Don’t click on sketchy texts, links, or emails 🧾 Freeze or lock your Social Security number 👀 Check the Better Business Bureau before buying from unknown sites 📣 Report fraud at ic3.gov or reportfraud.ftc.gov💬 What In Your World? We want to hear from you!Have you ever fallen for a scam? What happened?Are there new scams we didn’t mention that people need to know about?Should financial institutions do more to help victims recover stolen money?📢 Don’t forget to follow What In The World? for your weekly fun take on serious news:📸 INSTAGRAM: @whatinworld_pod 🎵 TIKTOK: @whatintheworldpod 🌐 WEBSITE: whatintheworldpod.com#news #fraud #scams #identitytheft #cybercrime #podcast #technews #whatintheworld