The 30 Grandma Moves

These are the actual quick-reference moves from Teach Your Grandma to Spot a Scam.

1. Fake caller ID: Hang up. Call the official number yourself.
2. “Do not hang up.”: Hang up specifically because they said not to.
3. Five-minute deadline: Use the Ten-Minute Rule. Their urgency makes you slower.
4. “Move your money to protect it.”: Move nothing. Call your real bank yourself.
5. “Call this other number to verify me.”: Reject their number. Find your own.
6. Private-looking facts: Treat knowledge as context, not proof of identity.
7. “Keep this confidential.”: Tell someone you trust. Secrecy is the smoke alarm.
8. Family emergency: Use the family password, hang up, and call family through a known number.
9. Familiar cloned voice: Do not test the voice. Test identity through another channel.
10. Convincing video call: For high-stakes action, use another form of verification.
11. Official-looking link: Open your normal app or known official site.
12. QR code: Treat it as a link. Use the normal app or official website you trust.
13. “Read me the six-digit code.”: Keep the code. It is a key.
14. “Approve this login.”: Deny any login or approval you did not initiate.
15. Unexpected remote access: No unexpected stranger gets control of your computer.
16. Fake tech warning: Do not call the number in the pop-up. Close it.
17. Gift-card payment: Stop. Gift cards are for gifts, not urgent payments.
18. Crypto ATM instruction: Walk away. Call your bank or a trusted person.
19. Cash or gold courier: Keep valuables and close the door.
20. Changed wire instructions: Confirm verbally using an old, known number.
21. Real email thread: Verify the action, not merely the sender.
22. Investment dashboard: Verify who holds the assets and whether withdrawals work.
23. Small crypto withdrawal: A small win does not prove a large deposit is safe.
24. “Risk-free” return: Ask where money can lose. If nobody can explain, stop.
25. Romance before a money ask: Separate emotional trust from financial permission.
26. Real legal or court fact: The fact may be real; the request may still be fake.
27. “Do not tell the bank teller.”: Tell the teller exactly what you were told to hide.
28. Recovery expert: Never pay an unsolicited rescuer.
29. Embarrassment after money moved: Call the bank first. Feel embarrassed later.
30. Overwhelming complexity: Ask, “What do they want me to do next?”

Educational guidance only. If fraud may be active, stop communicating with the person and contact the relevant institution through a phone number, app, or website you find independently.