Protecting Your Retirement From Financial Predators

If a stranger wanted to steal $100,000 from you, how would they do it? Not by hacking your account — by fooling you about who they are. This week we open our own case files (including the scam call that nearly got one of us this summer) and hand you the FEARS test: the five levers behind nearly every fraud, and the habits that defeat them.   On this week's Money On Tap, we take on both sides of the predator world. First, the scam calls: the FEARS test — Fear, Emotion, Authority, Rush, Secrecy — with the real story of the "sheriff's deputy," the missed jury duty, the official-looking DOJ paperwork, and the prepaid-bail ask that finally gave it away after more than an hour. Then the investment predators: guaranteed returns, fake websites with fake testimonials, cryptocurrency and wire-transfer demands, private deals with hidden personal guarantees — and the licensed professionals who sell legitimate products unsuitably. We close with the new wave — AI deepfakes and cloned voices — the family safety word that defeats them, and the first-hour response plan if you or someone you love gets taken.   What you'll learn: Why even trained professionals nearly fall for these — and why embarrassment is the scammer's best friend The setup lines: compromised accounts, grandchildren in trouble, the IRS, and the "recovery" scam The FEARS test: Fear, Emotion, Authority, Rush, Secrecy — your card to keep by the phone The one habit that defeats almost everything: hang up and call back on a number YOU find Investment red flags: guaranteed returns, crypto payments, wire transfers, glowing testimonials The double whammy: taxes and penalties on the retirement money you were robbed of Private deals: the $50,000 investment carrying a $1.2 million personal guarantee FINRA BrokerCheck: the five-minute background check on anyone with a license When the predator has a license: unsuitable annuities and portfolios that serve the commission AI deepfakes and cloned voices — and the family safety word that beats them The first hour if it happens: stop, call the institution, change every password, identitytheft.gov Plus Money In The News: Colleges are slashing tuition as students balk at soaring costs Bill Gates says companies using AI robots should pay FICA taxes Buffett's $863 million "secret portfolio" makes a move — and the only investment he's ever actually recommended Want this week's white paper — the full FEARS test, scam red-flag lists, and the first-hour response plan? Email us at [email protected] and we'll send it over.   Read our most recent Blog Post on this topic here: https://www.fmgwebsites.com/d772de05-9833-44e4-9676-f510f85cef74/blog/protecting-your-retirement-from-financial-predators-the-fears-test Schedule a free consultation: https://app.greminders.com/t/9f3ce72e/initialconsulta Browse the full Money On Tap library: https://www.brayshawfinancial.com/money-on-tap   Contact Us Phone: 855-226-8551 Email: [email protected] Office: 116 South River Road, Bedford, NH 03110 Web: brayshawfinancial.com Securities and advisory services offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. All other services offered through Brayshaw Financial Group, LLC are independent of Osaic Wealth, Inc. Osaic Wealth, Inc. and Brayshaw Financial Group do not provide tax or legal advice. Fraud statistics are reported figures as of the air date and likely understate actual losses; anecdotes are retold with identifying details removed. No fraud-prevention practice can guarantee protection against all scams. Retirement account withdrawals may be subject to income taxes and, before age 59½, an additional 10% federal penalty. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. How do I know if a phone call is a scam? Run it through the FEARS test: Fear (your account is compromised, a loved one is in trouble), Emotion (romance, panic, guilt), Authority (the IRS, the sheriff, the bank fraud department), Rush (it must happen now, on this call), and Secrecy (don't tell your family, don't call your bank). Feel several at once and you're being worked. The defense that defeats almost everything: hang up and call back on a number you find yourself — the back of your card, the official website — never the number they gave you or the one on caller ID, which is easily spoofed. Nothing true stops being true because you verified it.