Stay Alert: How To Protect Yourself from Financial Scams
Financial scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and fraudsters often impersonate trusted financial institutions, custodians, or advisory firms. Their goal may be to obtain sensitive information, gain access to online accounts, capture authentication codes, or persuade clients to move money.
These schemes can be convincing. Scammers may use spoofed phone numbers, realistic-looking websites or articles, urgent account warnings, fabricated stories, and unsolicited links. Recent reports have included callers posing as custodian representatives and asking clients to “verify” suspicious transactions through a link.
Know the Warning Signs
Unexpected calls, emails, or text messages about account activity
Pressure to act immediately or move funds to a “safe” account
Requests for usernames, passwords, one-time passcodes, authentication codes, or other sensitive information
Instructions to click an unsolicited link or allow remote access to a device
A caller ID or sender name that appears legitimate but cannot be independently verified
Steps You Can Take
If you receive an unexpected request involving your financial accounts, pause before taking action. Do not use the contact information or links provided in the message. Instead, contact Charles Schwab, Fidelity, your bank, or River Wealth Advisors through a trusted number found on your statement, official client portal, or the firm’s official website.
Verify independently. Confirm any request using a trusted phone number or secure client portal.
Be skeptical of urgency. Legitimate organizations will not pressure you to bypass normal security procedures.
Protect your credentials. Never share passwords, Social Security numbers, account numbers, one-time passcodes, authentication codes, or verbal passwords with an unsolicited caller.
Do not rely on caller ID. Names and phone numbers can be spoofed.
Think before you click. Avoid links in unexpected emails or text messages, especially those asking you to confirm account activity.
When in Doubt, Pause and Verify
River Wealth Advisors and trusted financial institutions will never unexpectedly ask you to disclose online credentials, provide authentication codes, grant remote access to your device, or transfer funds to protect an account.
If something does not feel right, stop and contact us through a familiar, verified channel before proceeding. Staying informed, and taking a moment to verify, is one of the most effective ways to help protect yourself from fraud.