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AI scammers can now clone a loved one’s voice, impersonate trusted organizations, and create messages that are almost impossible to identify as fake.
In this episode of From Guilt to Good, Jeanette Yates talks with cybersecurity expert Patrick Coughlin about the AI-powered scam economy targeting older adults, caregivers, and families.
Patrick shares how his mother was targeted by a fake kidnapping call using a cloned version of his sister’s voice. That experience led him to create Savi Security and a great free tool called Scamwise, which easily checks suspicious texts, emails, websites, and physical mail and lets you know the likelihood that it's a scam!
Jeanette and Patrick discuss why intelligent people still fall for scams, how shame keeps victims silent, why personal information does not prove a caller is legitimate, and how caregivers can protect aging parents without taking away their independence.
Patrick also explains second-channel verification, high-pressure “hot zone” moments, and why every family should create and practice using a code word.
Episode Summary
Patrick Coughlin spent more than 20 years protecting governments and corporations from cyber threats. Then his own mother received a fake kidnapping call featuring an AI-cloned version of her daughter’s voice.
In this conversation, Patrick explains how modern imposter scams manufacture trust by impersonating family members, banks, government agencies, pastors, schools, and other familiar people or organizations.
He also shares practical ways families can respond, including pausing during high-pressure moments, verifying requests through a second channel, creating a family code word, and using Scamwise to check suspicious communications.
This episode helps caregivers protect aging parents while preserving their dignity, confidence, and independence.
Guest Bio
Patrick Coughlin is a cybersecurity expert, co-founder and CEO of Savi Security, and author of Dark Side of the Boom.
After his mother was targeted by an AI-powered fake kidnapping call, Patrick turned his attention toward helping individuals and families protect themselves from modern digital scams.
CHAPTERS
00:00 — The AI Voice-Cloning Scam That Targeted Patrick’s Mother
01:27 — Why Patrick Started Protecting Families
02:58 — Why Smart Older Adults Still Get Scammed
04:20 — What Modern AI-Powered Scams Look Like
07:16 — Mass Scams vs. Targeted Imposter Scams
09:38 — Why Scammers Target Older Adults Living Alone
10:59 — How Shame Protects the Scammer
14:46 — Talking to Aging Parents Without Taking Away Independence
17:27 — How Scamwise Checks Suspicious Messages
22:49 — What Second-Channel Verification Means
25:55 — How Scammers Find and Use Personal Information
29:38 — Why Pausing Can Break a Scammer’s Spell
38:40 — The Vision Behind Savi Security
43:40 — The One Cybersecurity Habit Every Family Should Start
45:03 — Why AI Scams Are a Solvable Problem
LINKS & RESOURCES
Scamwise
Savi Security
Dark Side of the Boom
Patrick Coughlin LinkedIn
Jeanette’s Website
Support the show
NOW AVAILABLE! From Guilt To Good Enough: A Caregiver’s Journey of Overcoming Burnout Through Healing Childhood by Jeanette Yates. Having been a caregiver for her mother since childhood, Jeanette knows firsthand the emotional toll caregiving can take. In this memoir-turned-self-help guide, she shares her journey of healing, setting boundaries, and reclaiming her life. Click here to purchase your copy!
At The Self-Caregiver LLC we guide women caring for their aging parents overcome burnout and release guilt to create more freedom and fulfillment in their life.
We believe you cannot give more of yourself until you heal the wounds, replenish your being and reconnect to the fullness of who you are, embracing the purpose you‘ve been called to live.
