Published: June 30, 2024 on our newsletter Security Fraud News & Alerts Newsletter.
The Social Security Department has released the following information due to a high number of people being tarrgeted with impersonation attacks:
Recognizing the signs of a Social Security scam gives you the power to ignore criminals and report the scam. Scams come in many varieties, but they all work the same way:
1. Scammers pretend to be from an agency or organization you know to gain your trust.
2. Scammers say there is a problem or a prize.
3. Scammers pressure you to act immediately.
4. Scammers tell you to pay in a specific way.
Known Tactics Scammers Use
Scammers frequently change their approach with new tactics and messages to trick people. We encourage you to stay up to date on the latest news and advisories by following SSA OIG on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook or subscribing to receive email alerts.
These are red flags; you can trust that Social Security will never:
Threaten you with arrest or legal action because you don’t agree to pay money immediately.
Suspend your Social Security number.
Claim to need personal information or payment to activate a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) or other benefit increase.
Pressure you to take immediate action, including sharing personal information.
Ask you to pay with gift cards, prepaid debit cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or by mailing cash.
Threaten to seize your bank account.
Offer to move your money to a “protected” bank account.
Demand secrecy.
Direct message you on social media.
Be skeptical and look for red flags. If you receive a suspicious call, text message, email, letter, or message on social media, the caller or sender may not be who they say they are. Scammers have also been known to:
Use legitimate names of Office of Inspector General or Social Security Administration employees.
“Spoof” official government phone numbers, or even numbers for local police departments.
Send official-looking documents by U.S. mail or attachments through email, text, or social media message.
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