Dr. Phil

Phishing, vishing, smishing, spear phishing, and whaling, among others, are all forms of social engineering, ways for criminals to exploit your trust, fears, and mistakes to steal your money or confidential information to commit future crimes. Last year, Americans lost over $5.6 billion dollars – and that's only what was reported. Imagine getting a call from someone claiming to be your grandchild, saying they're in jail after a horrible car accident and need money for a lawyer – and you're asked to put $8,000 in a shoe box and give it to a courier who comes to your door. Would you do it? Dr. Phil's guest Libby says she did. Or, what if you found your dream home online and the person claiming to be the property agent offered you a lease and asked you to wire the money without ever meeting them? Breanna says that's what she and her family did. Then, meet Kaylee, who says she was scammed by someone pretending to be a Sheriff's Deputy, and Charlotte, who says she thought she was talking to a customer service agent at her bank only to find out she was scammed out of her savings. Callie and Lara also share their stories of being scammed while trying to find jobs online. Cybersecurity expert James McGibney joins the conversation to explain how these cunning scam artists think and why these scams are so successful. Plus, singer and songwriter Katharine McPhee and her husband, 16-time Grammy Award-winner David Foster, bring some holiday cheer into the studio and perform a song from their new album, Christmas Songs. Hear their favorite holiday memories, and Katherine shares the perfect gift to give this holiday season.