Dismissing fraud as something that “never happens here” could be a big mistake. As fraudsters improve their tricks, it’s more important than ever to stay vigilant in protection of your farm’s finances.

Explore seven tips to protect your farm from financial fraud in this edition of President’s Insights with High Plains Farm Credit President and CEO, Kevin Swayne.

Checks contain your name, address, and bank account details—everything a fraudster needs. Once a check leaves your hands, control is gone. Federal rules require banks to make funds available quickly, often before fraud is detected, giving criminals time to disappear with your money.

Electronic payments—whether through ACH transfers or online banking—are dramatically safer.

Digital transactions use encryption, tokenization, and multi-factor authentication, making them far harder to intercept or alter than paper checks. They also offer speed and convenience: funds move faster, and you can monitor accounts in real time.

In 2026, High Plains will introduce additional digital tools to help safeguard your finances including disbursement card access to your operating notes and artificial intelligence monitoring tools that can detect fraudulent checks and ACHs.

Whenever possible, pay vendors electronically or by credit card. Consider disbursement cards for farm expenses.

If you must mail checks, drop them at the post office—not in roadside boxes—and never leave outgoing mail overnight.

Use online banking and set up transaction alerts. Quick detection is key to stopping fraud.

If a vendor emails new banking instructions, call them using a known number before sending money to verify. Always utilize your contact information, not the contact information in the vendor email.

Ask your loan officer about this service, which matches issued checks against those presented for payment.

Make sure employees know the signs of phishing and social engineering scams.

If you suspect fraud, contact your financial institution immediately. Quick and timely communication can increase your chances of recovering funds.

Fraudsters are getting smarter, but so can we. Moving away from paper checks and embracing secure digital tools is one of the best ways to protect your hard-earned money—and keep your operation running smoothly.