More people are getting caught in financial scams, and it is not because they are careless.

In many cases, it is because scammers are getting better at creating panic, urgency, and confusion. They may pretend to be your bank. They may know details that make the call feel legitimate. They may tell you someone is trying to access your account, withdraw your money, or steal your identity. They may pressure you to act immediately before you have time to think.

And that is the whole point.

Scammers are often trying to get you into “do mode” as quickly as possible. They want you scared, rushed, and reacting before you have a chance to pause, get suspicious, ask questions, or verify what is happening.

At Granite, we believe one of the best safeguards against financial scams is having a plan before something happens. A few clear rules and tips can make it easier to pause, verify, and avoid making decisions under pressure.

1. When in doubt, hang up 

If you receive a call about your bank account, credit card, investment account, or personal information and anything feels off – anything at all – hang up.

You do not have to stay on the phone to be polite. You do not have to answer their questions. You do not have to explain yourself. And you do not have to decide, in that moment, whether the call is legitimate.

Just hang up.

Then call your bank, credit card company, financial advisor, or institution directly using a number you know is real. That may be the number on your statement, the back of your card, or the official website.

If there truly is a problem, they will be able to help you when you call them directly.

Do not call back using a number the caller gives you. And do not click a link in a text or email to “verify” your account. Go directly to the bank, institution, or your financial advisor.

2. Be suspicious of urgency.

A legitimate financial institution may contact you about suspicious activity. But a legitimate call should not make you feel panicked, threatened, or pressured to move money immediately.

If someone calls and says there is an emergency involving your bank account, your first step should be to slow down.

Do not keep engaging with the caller just because they sound official. Do not let them rush you into withdrawing money, transferring funds, sharing verification codes, or downloading anything.

A good rule of thumb is this: if the situation feels urgent, that is exactly when you should pause.

Scammers often try to activate your fear before you can think clearly. That is why urgency itself should be treated as a warning sign.

3. Never move money because someone on the phone told you to.

One of the most dangerous scam tactics is convincing someone to “preserve” their money by moving it somewhere else.

A scammer may say someone is at your bank trying to withdraw your funds. They may say your account has been compromised. They may tell you to take money out, transfer it, wire it, or send it through a payment app.

Do not do it.

If there is a real problem at your bank, your bank should be able to verify it when you call them directly through a known, official number. They should not need you to withdraw your own money and send it somewhere else.

Be especially careful with wires, Venmo, Zelle, Cash App, and other instant transfer tools. Once money is sent through certain methods, it may be very difficult or impossible to recover.

4. Do not share verification codes.

Two-factor authentication, a process that requires users to provide two different forms of identification to access an account (like both a password and a verification code), is an important layer of protection. But scammers know that, too.

One common tactic is to get access to your login or call your bank pretending to be you, then ask you to read them the verification code that was sent to your phone or email.

Never share those codes with someone who contacted you.

A legitimate code is meant to prove that you are the person trying to access the account. If you give it to someone else, you may be giving them the ability to get in.

And if you receive a verification code you did not request, treat it as a warning sign. Change your password, contact the institution directly, and review your account activity.

5. Use stronger password habits.

Many people reuse the same password across multiple accounts. It is common, but it is risky.

If one account is compromised, scammers may try the same email and password combination elsewhere. That can quickly turn one exposed password into a much bigger problem.

If you want to make sure you don’t reuse passwords, and that your passwords are strong, a password manager can help you create and store different passwords for different accounts, so you are not relying on the same login everywhere. Examples of popular password managers are 1Password and LastPass.

It is also wise to turn on two-factor authentication wherever you can, especially for bank accounts, credit cards, investment accounts, email, and other sensitive logins.

6. Consider locking your credit.

If you are not currently shopping for a house, car, credit card, or other major loan, consider locking or freezing your credit with all three major credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.

This can help prevent someone from opening new credit in your name.

It can be a little inconvenient if you later need to apply for credit, because you will have to unlock or temporarily lift the freeze. But, most of the time, the freeze can be lifted within hours or days. And for many people, any inconvenience is worth the added protection.

Parents may also want to consider freezing their children’s credit. Children usually do not need access to credit, and unfortunately, minors can be targets for identity theft. If fraudulent accounts are opened in a child’s name, it may not be discovered for years.

7. Be careful where you shop online

Online shopping can create another layer of risk, especially when using unfamiliar or extremely low-cost sites.

If you are buying something online, use a credit card rather than a debit card whenever possible. Credit cards generally offer more protection than debit cards, and a fraudulent charge on a credit card does not immediately remove money from your checking account.

That distinction matters. If someone gets access to your debit card, they may be able to drain funds you need for your mortgage, groceries, utilities, or other immediate expenses.

Be cautious about saving payment information on sites you do not fully trust. And if a deal seems unusually cheap, it is worth asking whether the low price is worth the potential exposure of your personal information.

8. Talk about scams before they happen

Some of the most important scam prevention happens before there is ever a phone call, text, or email. Talk with your parents, adult children, spouse, and other close family members about what to do if someone contacts them about money. Make a plan together.

For example, you might agree that no one will move money, wire funds, buy gift cards, or send money through a payment app without first calling a trusted family member or advisor. This is not about taking away anyone’s independence. It is about creating a pause point.

Some families are also creating private “safe words” or phrases to help verify urgent calls or messages. As AI-powered voice cloning scams become more common, a safe word can give families a simple way to confirm whether a loved one is truly in trouble or whether the caller may be an impostor.

Scammers thrive when people feel alone, scared, and rushed. Simple family rules can interrupt that pattern.

9. If you have a financial advisor, call them

If you receive a strange call, text, or email about your money, you do not have to figure it out alone. If anything feels suspicious, hang up and call your advisor or another professional who can help you slow down and sort through what is real.

At Granite, one of the reasons we value personal relationships with clients is because those relationships provide another layer of preservation. When you call our office, you are not reaching a call center. You are reaching people who know you, know your family, and can help recognize when something does not sound right.

A few simple rules to remember:

Financial scams can be complicated, but your first response does not have to be:

• If something feels urgent, pause.
• If someone asks you to move money, stop.
• If someone asks for a verification code, do not share it.
• If a text or email feels suspicious, do not click.
• If you are unsure, hang up and call a number you know is legitimate.
• And if you are still unsure, call someone you trust.

Scammers want you to feel like you have no time. But in almost every case, the safest thing you can do is give yourself a moment to think.

At Granite, helping clients preserve what they have built is part of the work. We would always rather have a client call us to talk through something that turns out to be nothing than feel pressured into making a financial decision alone.

If you want that same added layer of support for you and your family, we are here to help you think through the right safeguards.