In this episode of Smart Living, I sat down with longtime friend and former ABC15 investigative reporter Joe Ducey, who now works with the Better Business Bureau as the Associate VP of Investigative Outreach. He’s the go-to guy for protecting yourself from scams—and trust me, the scams are getting sneakier.
Joe and I have been talking about consumer protection for over a decade, and in this episode, we dig into:
✅ Phishing scams: Those fake toll road texts? Totally bogus—especially here in Arizona where there are no toll roads!
✅ Fake Amazon and bank alerts: Clicking a shady link can infect your device or lead you to hand over personal info.
✅ Travel scams: Be cautious when searching for customer service numbers online—scammers often pay to rank first on Google.
✅ Brushing scams: Getting unexpected packages? That might be a seller creating fake five-star reviews in your name.
✅ Freezing your credit: One of the most powerful (and free!) ways to protect your identity.
We also shared our go-to resources like BBB Scam Tracker, FTC.gov, and AnnualCreditReport.com to help you stay informed.
Joe has dedicated his career to keeping consumers safe—from TV to the BBB—and we had a great, real conversation about how to protect yourself in this increasingly digital (and scammy) world.
