#1 Cybersecurity Expert: This Conversation Could Save You Thousands of Dollars

The Mel Robbins Podcast

SiriusXM Podcasts

Health & Fitness, Society & Culture, Education, Self-improvement, Mental Health, Relationships

4.7 • 15.3K Ratings

🗓️ 19 February 2026

⏱️ 79 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

If you’ve ever clicked “Accept All Cookies,” ignored software updates, saved your passwords, or logged into free Wi-Fi, you have to hear this. The little “harmless” things you do online are exactly what scammers count on. In today’s conversation, Mel sits down with award-winning cybersecurity expert Caitlin Sarian (aka “Cybersecurity Girl”) to give you the short and simple checklist of things that protect your money, your identity, and your privacy online. You don’t need to understand cybersecurity. You just need to stop treating online habits like they’re harmless, because they can leave you open for a scam. This isn’t about being paranoid, it’s about realizing that a few tiny changes can shut down most online threats. This conversation will educate and inform you. In this episode, you’ll learn: -The biggest cybersecurity mistake almost everyone makes (and how to fix it fast) -The #1 Venmo scam happening right now, and exactly what to do if it happens to you -What to do immediately if your phone is lost or stolen -The 5 essential moves that protect you from most online threats -The fastest way to spot scam links, fake emails, and panic-based phone calls -How to protect your parents, your kids, and your entire family from getting scammed -Simple settings to check tonight: camera, microphone, location, and account access Bookmark this episode and share it with your partner, your parents, and your friends. This is the kind of information that can prevent a mistake you can’t undo. For more resources related to today’s episode, click here for the podcast episode page. If you liked the episode, check out this one next: The 7‑Day Habit Reset: Start Today, Feel Different By Next Week Connect with Mel: Order Mel’s new product, Pure Genius Protein Get Mel’s newsletter, packed with tools, coaching, and inspiration. Get Mel’s #1 bestselling book, The Let Them Theory Watch the episodes on YouTube Follow Mel on Instagram The Mel Robbins Podcast Instagram Mel's TikTok Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes ad-free Disclaimer

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's your friend Mel, and welcome to the Mel Robbins podcast.
0:09.0	Here's something I did that I'm not proud of, but I'm going to tell you anyway.
0:13.3	So yesterday, I got this pop-up notification that said, update Apple Settings, and you know,
0:18.0	I did click, ignore.
0:20.0	Then I got another one from Zoom, and you know what I didn't? Click, ignore. You ever do that? I know what I did click ignore then I got another one from Zoom and you know
0:21.9	and I didn't click ignore you ever do that I mean why do I need to update all this stuff all the time
0:27.0	maybe you're a little bit like me in that way you kind of accept all the cookies on every website
0:32.6	you share your location so uber eats can find you no matter when you're ordering you grant camera
0:36.9	access to apps
0:37.7	so that you can use them, duh. Well, our guest today, a cybersecurity expert told me that all
0:45.2	these little things that I'm doing, and I know you do them too, they are making you and me
0:52.0	an easy target for scammers.
0:55.0	In fact, I bet you lock your door at night, but here you and I are leaving the door wide
1:00.6	open for hackers to just walk right into our accounts.
1:03.5	Now, before I even get into this, I need to tell you something.
1:07.1	I didn't think I needed to care about cybersecurity.
1:10.7	I thought cybersecurity was something for like tech people or banks or corporations or governments.
1:16.4	I didn't think it had anything to do with me and you.
1:18.6	Then I met Caitlin Sarian, also known as Cybersecurity Girl, to the millions of people that follow her online.
1:25.2	And she told me that all these little things that you and I do,
1:29.1	you know what we're doing? We are giving the keys to our accounts, to hackers. They can get in
1:33.6	less than 30 seconds. And I thought, oh my gosh, this isn't just a tech person's problem. This is
	...

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