A free guide for slow drinkers and quiet planners
The Slow Brew Plan
A field guide to spotting the scam, slowing down the con, and protecting your money, your business, and the people you love. Written by a Certified Fraud Examiner for people who think a four minute pour over is time well spent.
24 pages. No catch. One short email a week, unsubscribe anytime.
If you have ever spent fifteen minutes hand grinding beans for a single cup, you already understand what stops almost every scam ever invented. The scammer’s whole job is to speed you up. Slowness is the defense. Patience is the defense. The small habit of hanging up and calling back on a number you looked up yourself is the defense.
Fraud prevention gets a bad reputation because most people who write about it are trying to scare you. This guide does not do that. Written by a Certified Fraud Examiner with two decades in financial services, it walks you through the four categories of scam that will actually reach you, the three step protocol that stops almost all of them, a twenty minute audit for small business owners worried about Business Email Compromise, and the specific conversation to have with an aging parent about their money.
What’s inside
Six short chapters. One useful worksheet.
1. Why fraud works
The three feelings every scam weaponizes, urgency, authority, fear, and why smart, careful people fall for it anyway.
2. The four kinds of fraud that will target you
Business Email Compromise, impersonation scams, romance and investment scams, and elder targeted schemes. Learn the shape of each and you’ll spot the specific attempt in thirty seconds.
3. The Slow Brew Method: pause, verify, call back
The three step protocol that neutralizes almost every scam ever invented. Practice it until it’s as automatic as putting on a seatbelt.
4. Five red flags in every scam
Urgency, secrecy, unusual payment methods, pressure, and “you were chosen.” See two of these in one message and it’s a scam. Full stop.
5. The 20 minute audit for small business owners
MFA, mail-forwarding rule check, vendor verification protocol, DMARC basics, and the one page incident response plan. Business Email Compromise is a $2.9B problem. Twenty minutes closes most of the windows.
6. The elder protection conversation
How to talk to an aging parent about scams without triggering pride or shame. Six things to agree on together, including the family code word that stops the grandparent scam completely.
Who this is for
- You run a small business and move money by email.
- You have an aging parent or a spouse’s aging parent, and you worry about the calls they’re getting.
- You’ve been targeted by something suspicious in the last year and want to be ready for the next one.
- You enjoy a quiet, well made cup of coffee.
Who it isn’t
- People looking for stock picks. There are none.
- People currently in the middle of an active fraud incident. Please call your bank and ic3.gov first, not us.
- People who already have a fraud-prevention program they trust. You probably don’t need this.
- People who prefer instant coffee. No offense.
Send me the guide
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What happens after you sign up
In 30 seconds
The PDF lands in your inbox. Print it, save it to your phone, or read it with breakfast.
Each week
One short email. Practical scam defense tips, the occasional fresh-roast announcement.
Whenever
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Honest answers to the questions you’re about to ask
Who wrote this and what makes them qualified?
Written by Stewart Martin, a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) with two decades of financial services experience and ten plus years as a Senior Fraud Investigator inside regional and large U.S. banks. Stewart now runs an independent risk management consulting firm helping small and mid sized businesses set up the protocols and procedures that prevent Business Email Compromise incidents before they happen. He also presents to civic groups and retirement communities on elder financial exploitation and scam prevention. To reach him directly, call (803) 206-7667. Full credentials appear on the back cover of the PDF.
Is this actually free?
Yes. The PDF is free in exchange for your email. We use the list to send one short, useful email a week. You can unsubscribe with one click in any email.
What’s the catch?
There isn’t one. The guide is genuinely useful on its own. If, after reading it, you want to talk to someone about your specific situation, we’ll be at the bottom of every email. If not, the guide is yours to keep.
Why is a coffee shop sending out fraud-prevention guides?
Stew’s Brews & Chews is a Goose Creek roastery. Stewart Martin, the owner of the shop, is also a Charleston area Certified Fraud Examiner. I believe that some of the best things happen slowly: a well-brewed cup, a well-considered decision, a conversation with your mother about her money. So here we are.
Will you sell my email?
Never. Full privacy policy lives at /privacy.
Ready when you are.
Pour yourself something. Take three minutes. We’ll do the rest.