You probably received a call claiming that your Social Security number has been compromised.
For people who fall for these scams, the experience can result in huge financial losses.
An elderly woman in Massachusetts lost more than $ 900,000 in a Social Security fraud operation, according to the US attorney general’s office for the Northern Illinois District.
In January, a man from the Chicago area pleaded guilty to money laundering for his role in the scheme, for which he used a fake Indian passport, fake name and address to open US bank accounts and receive money from victims.
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The call volume is high. A telecommunications company ended customer relationships that together made 27 million calls in a single day after warnings and subpoenas from the Inspector General of Social Security.
Since October, the government has received nearly 300,000 fraudulent claims related to Social Security.
Last year, there were more than 718,000 reports of Social Security-related telephone scams, accounting for nearly $ 45 million in casualty losses.
“Scammers have been working hard for years, doing everything they can to trick people with their personal information and money,” said Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul.
The calls often claim to represent credit card companies, other companies and even the Social Security Administration.
The caller may claim that there is a problem with your Social Security number or account. They can ask for your Social Security number or bank account information. And they can threaten you with a prison or fine if you don’t pay a fee.
“Scammers use emotion, usually fear, to make people act without thinking,” said Saul.
A new twist on the scams is that perpetrators will use real names from Social Security and other government officials and show government IDs or numbers of manufactured badges.
“Hang up,” said Saul. “Don’t get involved with the interlocutor.”
Scammers use emotion, usually fear, to make people act without thinking.
Andrew saul
Social Security Administration Commissioner
It is also important to know that the SSA will never call you about a problem with your Social Security number or email or text photos that purport to be an official ID, said Social Security Inspector General Gail Ennis.
“Never make payments with gift cards, wire transfers or cash for any reason,” said Ennis.
If you receive a suspicious call, report it to the SSA Office on the Inspector General’s website.
On Thursday, the SSA is conducting an annual campaign to help raise public awareness of how to deal with these schemes.
Called Slam the Scam Day, it will include live social media events to help educate the public about scams. USA.gov will be hosting a Twitter chat at 3pm Eastern, or 1pm for Spanish speakers.
The SSA will host a live event on Facebook at 7 pm Eastern time, where the Federal Trade Commission will answer questions about the schemes.
This year, CVS stores agreed to help spread the message by reproducing an advertisement for Saul in its 10,000 stores in the United States.
The campaign will coincide with the distribution of the vaccine that is underway in selected CVS stores.
“We have a bit of a captive audience and, hopefully, more people than usual in their stores,” said Ennis.
Other retailers that are also helping to spread the word are Walmart and Home Depot.