Security Corner Blog

Unsurprisingly, Social Security scams continue to be an issue across the United States. Scam artists use the program's name in fraudulent phone calls, texts, emails, and letters. Their schemes usually involve impersonating the Social Security Administration (SSA) to obtain and then misuse Social Security numbers (SSNs) and other personal information. We want you to know how to identify a scammer, avoid becoming a victim, and what to do if you were scammed.

Watch Out for these Social Security Related Scams:

Criminals continue to impersonate the SSA and other government agencies in an attempt to acquire personal information or money.

The following are some common ways scammers might obtain your personal information. Phone, email, text, write, or message you on social media.

• Phone Calls: These calls can be either fraudulent, friendly service calls or fraudulent, threatening calls. These bogus phone calls related to Social Security benefits are among the top scams. The calls often involve people or robotic voices claiming to be from the SSA or the Office of the Inspector General (OIG). They might use the name of someone who works there and send a picture or attachment as "proof."
• Fake Emails: Victims can receive emails that appear to be messages from the SSA. The emails may have attachments that resemble letters from the SSA, complete with their seal. The email may also direct readers to a fake web page resembling the SSA website. The SSA has mentioned that their legitimate emails will never seek personal information and do not adopt an alarmist or threatening tone.
• Social Security Fraud by Mail: The rise of scams perpetrated electronically has reduced the amount of Social Security fraud by mail, but the practice doesn't occur as often, and it has not entirely vanished. One such scheme is a direct mail scam that primarily targets older people. 

How to Spot/ Avoid Being Scammed:

Remember, the SSA will never ask for your personal information via email, text, or phone, such as your SSN, date of birth, or bank account details. If you don't provide personal information, SSA employees will never threaten you with arrest or other legal actions.

How to Report Social Security Scams:

If you believe you have been a victim of a Social Security scam. You have many options to choose from. You can call the OIG's hotline (1-800-269-0271) or submit a fraud report on the OIG's website using the online SSA Scam Reporting Form.

Please note that when you report a scam, you provide the SSA with robust data that they will use to inform others, identify trends, refine strategies, and take legal action against the criminals behind these scam activities.

Think You've Been Scammed? Here's What to Do:

1. Do not blame yourself.

2. Stop all contact with the scammer. Please do not talk to them, respond to their messages, or open any attachments they might have sent.

3. Notify the three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, to add a fraud alert to your credit report.

4. Protect your Social Security Number (SSN). SSA has provided more information regarding Identity theft and your SSN.

5. Request a replacement SSN card or a new SSN if necessary. 

Need more information on what to do if you were scammed? The Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) "What To Do if You Were Scammed" article has information about what you should do if you paid someone you believe to be a scammer or gave a scammer your personal information or access to your computer or phone. The FTC also has other helpful information on scams and the best ways of avoiding them.

Article content and third-party links are provided for information purposes only. 

Reference:

4 Common Social Security Scams and How To Avoid Them. https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/102814/what-are-most-common-scams-regarding-social-security-benefits.asp

Protect Yourself from Social Security Scams | SSA. https://www.ssa.gov/scam/?utm_campaign=oig-scam-23&utm_content=scam-url-feb2023&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Social Security: Fraud Prevention and Reporting| SSA https://www.ssa.gov/fraud/#:~:text=How%20to%20report%20fraud,at%20oig.ssa.gov.