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About Daniel Morton

Scam, Fraud & Prevention Consultant in Winston-Salem, NC

Why I do this

The phone rang, and my grandma heard what she thought was my voice. Scared. Rushed. Saying I'd been arrested and needed bail money right away, and begging her not to tell anyone.

She didn't stop to question it. Why would she? She loves me. So she did what any grandmother would do and paid thousands of dollars to get her grandson out of jail.

But I was never in jail. I was never on that call. Someone had pretended to be me, and by the time we found out, the money was gone.

That's how these scams work. They don't go after careless people. They go after loving ones, and they use fear and secrecy so you act before you think. In my retail and customer service work here in the Triad, I worked with older customers every day. I heard versions of this story over and over from good, smart people, and what surprised me most was how few of them had anyone in their corner to stop them before the money was gone. No one to call and ask, “Does this sound right to you?”

So I started Trusted Neighbor Triad to be that someone, giving seniors and their families plain-language warnings about what's going around right now, before it reaches their phone. If my grandma had known one simple rule, hang up and call your grandchild on the number you already have, that money would still be hers.

Read the full guide to grandparent scam calls

How I research alerts

Before I write about a scam, I check reports from official sources, such as the NC Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, local sheriff's offices and NC Quick Pass, along with local news reports. Each guide lists and links the sources it's based on in a "Sources" section, so you can read the original warnings yourself.

I write in plain language, explain the red flags and the steps you can take, and update a guide when the official advice changes. The guides are general information, not legal or financial advice.

How this site makes money

This site is free to read. Some links are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you sign up through them, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend services I'd tell my own neighbors about, and the free steps always come first. Read the full affiliate disclosure.

Free talks

I'm available for free scam-safety talks at churches, libraries and senior centers in the Triad. To ask about a talk, email me at TrustedNeighborTriad@gmail.com.

Contact

Questions, suggestions, or a scam you'd like me to look into? Email TrustedNeighborTriad@gmail.com. Please never send passwords, account numbers or Social Security numbers by email.