The stories change constantly. A grandchild is in jail and needs bail money. Your account has been compromised and funds must be moved to a "safe" account. You've won something, but taxes are due first. Scammers rewrite the narrative every few months, which is exactly why trying to memorize a list of scams doesn't work.

What doesn't change are the two levers underneath every version. You must act right now, and you can't tell anyone. Urgency exists to stop you from thinking clearly. Secrecy exists to keep you away from the spouse, coworker, or teller who would take one look and say, "wait a second." Together they isolate you at the exact moment you most need a second opinion.

So use those two things as your alarm bell instead. If a caller is pushing you to move fast and keep quiet, that is the scam, whatever the story happens to be. Hang up. Call the organization back at a number you look up yourself, not one the caller gave you. And tell someone. Firefighters Credit Union will never pressure you to act immediately or ask you to keep a transaction secret. If you're unsure about a call, reach us at 801-487-3219 and we'll check it out with you.