Most optometrists are comfortable managing clinical risk and business uncertainty. What feels different today is how convincingly fraud now presents itself, often polished, familiar, and timed to moments when attention is stretched thin.
In a recent article from Investment Executive, Canadians lost over $704,000,000 to fraud in 2025, affecting individuals across age groups and professions. The takeaway isn’t that fraud is rare or fringe. It has become routine and increasingly sophisticated.
Why scams feel harder to spot
Fraud has evolved alongside technology. Advances in artificial intelligence now allow scammers to create messages that closely resemble legitimate communications. Emails that match branding. Texts that sound conversational. Even phone calls that replicate a familiar voice.
Unfortunately, that makes traditional warning signs such as poor grammar, awkward phrasing, obvious inconsistencies no longer reliable filters. Many scams now succeed because they look reasonable and arrive at moments when quick decisions feel efficient.
Urgency is still the pressure point
Despite the technology, the underlying tactic hasn’t changed. Fraud works best when it introduces urgency: a payment that must be made immediately, an account that needs instant verification, or a problem that can’t wait.
The key to protecting you from loss is something deceptively simple: slowing down. Taking even a brief pause often creates enough distance to recognize when a request doesn’t feel quite right.
For many professionals, this mirrors clinical judgment. When something is out of pattern, it’s worth taking a second look rather than assuming the most convenient explanation.
Five habits that reduce risk without adding complexity
1) Pause before you act
If a message pressures you to act immediately, take a breath. Legitimate organizations rarely demand instant action without allowing verification.
2) Verify independently
Never rely on contact details provided in an unexpected email, text, or voicemail. If your bank, investment firm, or service provider contacts you, use a phone number or website you already know (or one you locate independently) to confirm before responding.
3) Don’t let “perfect-looking” messages reassure you
AI has made scam emails and texts look polished and professional. Reviewing the full sender name and domain still helps. When in doubt, treat unsolicited messages as suspicious.
4) Protect personal and financial information like cash
No legitimate organization will ask for passwords, one‑time codes, or full account details via email, text, or unsolicited phone call. Once that information is gone, it can be difficult to recover.
5) Talk about scams
Fraud thrives in silence. Sharing information about new scam patterns with family, friends, and colleagues reduces stigma and can prevent others from being pulled in.
Why optometrists are often targeted
Optometrists and their clinics tend to be visible professionals, with easy to access online presence. You and your team are busy and it’s easy to “click” in the moment trying to be efficient in our day. This can create predictable opportunities for impersonation or timing‑based scams.
This doesn’t suggest vulnerability. It simply highlights why routine verification processes matter, particularly for payment requests or changes to financial instructions.
Instinct is part of risk management
A recurring theme in fraud cases is hindsight clarity. Many people report that something “felt off” but seemed easier to proceed than to question it. That instinct is worth respecting.
Fraudsters rely on people being busy, distracted, or hesitant to ask questions. There is little downside to double‑checking, especially when the cost of acting too quickly can be significant.
How strong systems reduce risk
Effective fraud prevention is less about dramatic controls and more about disciplined process. Limiting access to sensitive information, using secure platforms and trusted partners, and slowing down when requests fall outside normal patterns all reduce exposure.
Ongoing staff training and regular testing further reinforce this culture of caution. Fraud prevention works best when it’s treated as an operational norm rather than an occasional reminder.
Slow Down
As scams become more convincing, the most reliable defenses remain human: pausing, verifying, and being willing to ask one more question. Those small moments of restraint often make the difference between a routine day and a costly mistake.
Roxanne Arnal is a Certified Financial Planner®, Chartered Life Underwriter®, Certified Health Insurance Specialist, former Optometrist, Professional Corporation President, and practice owner. She is dedicated to empowering individuals and their wealth by helping them make smart financial decisions that bring more joy to their lives.
This article is for information purposes only and is not a replacement for personalized financial planning. Errors and Omissions exempt.
ROXANNE ARNAL,
Optometrist and Certified Financial Planner
Roxanne Arnal graduated from UW School of Optometry in 1995 and is a past-president of the Alberta Association of Optometrists (AAO) and the Canadian Association of Optometry Students (CAOS). She subsequently built a thriving optometric practice in rural Alberta.
Roxanne took the decision in 2012 to leave optometry and become a financial planning professional. She now focuses on providing services to Optometrists with a plan to parlay her unique expertise to help optometric practices and their families across the country meet their goals through astute financial planning and decision making.
