What a cybersecurity founder and your Diversified team want you to know about deepfake scams, AI phishing, and imposter scams, plus the simple habits that help keep your family safer.
By Tony Brumley, Palisade Cybersecurity, and featuring Brad Cox, Diversified Portfolios, Inc.
Key Takeaways:
• What should I do if a call or message catches me off guard? Stop and think. Slow down, breathe, and reach out to someone you trust using a phone number or email you already know.
• How can I help protect my parents and kids? Have a simple conversation now about a family code word and a callback plan, so no one has to guess in the moment.
Editor’s Note: This article is a joint collaboration between Tony Brumley, Founder of Palisade Cybersecurity, and Brad Cox, Chief Operating Officer & Chief Compliance Officer at Diversified Portfolios. Tony highlights key developments in the world of cybersecurity, and Brad explains how our team puts preventative strategies into practice to help protect your accounts, plus what you can do at home.
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When my phone rang and I heard my son sobbing, parental instinct immediately took over. He was 1,200 miles away in Alabama, and said he’d been arrested after a DUI crash. It sounded like him, he was clearly upset, and the whole story came at me so fast that I was caught completely off guard, the way any parent would be.
But then he mentioned he’d been drinking energy drinks at midnight.
My son is a fitness enthusiast who goes to bed early and avoids energy drinks like the plague.
That single wrong detail broke the spell. I hung up, called him directly, and found out he was completely fine and sitting safely at work.
Even for those of us in cybersecurity, spotting an AI-driven scam isn’t always easy. Gone are the days when a fake video gave itself away with an extra finger or glitchy motion. AI tech has gotten unnervingly polished. To make matters worse, traditional tricks like phishing emails and fake bank calls haven’t gone anywhere, either. AI just makes them more believable, leaving all of us watching for old and new threats at once.
The good news is that a little awareness goes a long way. Here’s what today’s scams look like, along with the simple habits that can help you and the people you love feel ready if a call like that ever comes.
What Do AI Scams Look Like in 2026?
Understanding how these tricks work is the best way to keep your family and your wealth safe. Today’s scammers often combine modern AI tools with classic emotional pressure.
Voice Cloning, Deepfakes & Imposter Scams
Not long ago, a friend of mine got a call saying her grandson was in trouble and needed money right away. She didn’t stop to think about it; she just reacted, because her grandson needed her. Before she realized what was happening, she had bought $2,000 in gift cards to send to a total stranger.
It’s what any loving grandparent would do, and it’s precisely what imposter scams count on. These calls and messages can come from someone pretending to be a family member, your bank, a tech company, or even your boss. The one thing they nearly always share is a sense of urgency that leaves you no room to pause.
Before taking action or moving money, we recommend you hang up and call the person directly using a phone number you already have saved in your contacts.
AI Phishing
Phishing is when a scammer sends a message pretending to be a company or person you trust, hoping you’ll click a link or share information.
The typos and awkward phrasing that used to give these messages away are much harder to find now. In fact, AI technology has made it incredibly easy for scammers to create very legitimate-looking websites, emails, and texts. For instance, you might get an email that looks identical to one from your internet provider claiming your account is about to be suspended and asking you to update your billing info via a link.
Scammers may even include a phone number that’s just one digit off from the company’s number, so a quick glance looks right. A good rule of thumb is that if an email asks you to update billing or log in, skip the provided link and go directly to the company’s official website or mobile app instead.
QR Code Scams
QR codes are everywhere now, and most of them are perfectly fine, like the one that pops up in a streaming app on your TV. The trouble comes with codes in public places.
If you’re at your child’s or grandchild’s gymnastics meet and there’s a poster asking you to scan a code for tickets, it’s easy for someone to place their own QR code sticker right over the original one. The same thing can happen with the menu at a restaurant. One scan later, you could be entering your payment information on a website that belongs to a scammer.
Before you tap, look at the web address that pops up on your screen. If it matches the business and is spelled correctly, you’re likely fine. If anything looks off, skip it and pay at the counter.
Related: The “AI” Economy and Your Portfolio
Some scams combine several of the above tactics at once. At a different firm, I once saw a client pulled into an elaborate scheme with three people involved: someone posing as their bank, someone posing as Microsoft, and someone who was just trying to “help” them. By the time it was over, the scammers had gotten about $9,000. It was only when they went back and tried for another $100,000 that the firm recognized it as an out-of-the-ordinary request and stopped it.
A Note from Brad: How Diversified Portfolios Helps Protect You from AI Scams
When people ask me what concerns me most about AI and cybersecurity, it’s how quickly things change. The bad guys are always kind of one step ahead, coming up with new ways to impersonate people. For decades, advisors could recognize a client’s voice on the phone and feel confident it was them. With cloned voices and deepfake videos, that’s no longer enough on its own, especially when the call is about moving money. That’s why our team never stops learning, and why we treat this as an everyday part of how we look after you.
I’ll share a story from our own office. Over the past year, two or three of our new employees have received texts that appeared to come from leaders here at the firm, asking them to pick up gift cards. The scammers had found them on LinkedIn, seen that they’d just joined our team, and reached out pretending to be one of us. They’re doing their research, and it’s targeted. That’s a big reason we stay so watchful on your behalf.
Here are some of the procedures we use to help identify suspicious activity and reduce the risk of unauthorized transactions:
- We confirm anything out of the ordinary. If we receive an email request that’s new or unusual, we follow up with a call before acting on it.
- We train constantly. Our team goes through security training every quarter, and we talk through any ideas or concerns in our weekly team meetings, so everyone knows what to watch for. We also complete a lengthy cybersecurity survey each year, so we know exactly what issues or red flags our team members are encountering and can address them firm-wide.
- We’re careful with AI tools, too. We take precautions when using AI tools, including following firm policies designed to protect sensitive client information. When AI-assisted note-taking is used for client meetings, we follow our established disclosure and consent procedures.
What We Ask of You
If something feels off, reach out to your advisor or client service associate using the number or email on your statement. Never feel embarrassed to check, even if you think you’ve already responded to something. If we ever call to confirm something, that’s us looking out for you.
What Should You Do When a Call or Message Catches You Off Guard? Brad and Tony’s 5-Step Scam Prevention & Response Guide
- Pause and Take a Breath: Scammers rely on panic to make you act fast. Taking even 10 seconds to slow down puts you back in control.
- Disconnect and Call Back Directly: Don’t worry about being polite. Hang up or close the message immediately and call the person or company back using a trusted number, like one saved in your phone contacts or printed on your official statement.
- Set Up a Family Code Word: Talk with your kids and grandkids to create a private family code word. If someone calls claiming to be in an emergency, ask for the word, then independently contact the family member using a trusted phone number before sending money or sharing information.
- Practice Good Device and Digital Safety: Always update your phone and computer when prompted to patch critical security gaps. Additionally, protect your privacy when using AI tools. Never upload sensitive documents or share personal details like Social Security numbers, bank info, or full names. Over time, even a series of seemingly innocent prompts can build a detailed picture of your private life, so always keep your requests generic.
- Trust Your Instincts: Old-fashioned scams are still around, just wrapped in shiny new technology. If an offer, urgent alert, or sudden emergency feels suspicious, trust your gut and double-check it first.
Who Should You Call When Something Doesn’t Feel Right?
You don’t have to keep up with all of this on your own. Our team remains vigilant about emerging cybersecurity threats and follows established procedures to help identify suspicious activity and protect client information. If you ever get a call, text, or email that gives you pause, give us a phone call using the number you already have for our office. We’re always here to listen, confirm details, or help you start this safety conversation with your children and grandchildren.
And if you aren’t yet working with Diversified Portfolios, we welcome the opportunity to show you how we help families safeguard their wealth and protect the ones who matter most Schedule a complimentary Financial MRI to get started.
