How To Stop Getting Social Security Scam Calls
More than 46% of Americans have reported receiving spam phone calls at least once a day. If youre wondering how to block social security scam calls, there are a handful of actions you can take to limit these annoying points of contact.
Reaching out to the Federal Communications Commission is a great place to start as they are the ones who regulate phone communications throughout the United States. You can file complaints by submitting any information you have about the scammer online at . The FCC can also be reached by calling 225-5322 if you prefer to speak with a live representative.
Next, you can submit your phone number to the FCCs National Do Not Call Registry. This can be done online at or by calling 382-1222 from the phone number youd like to be added. While there are mixed reviews about whether this works or not, it does help to at least limit the number of social security scam calls youll receive.
If you continue receiving social security scam phone calls and it becomes a significant problem, you can always change your phone number. Although this should come as a last resort, it is likely the best way to start fresh and escape the constant annoyance of these calls.
Unusual Forms Of Payment
One easy warning sign of a scam, said Matt Campbell, CFO at Budgetable, is when the caller requests a payment via cryptocurrency, gift cards or wire transfer. Social Security will never request payment this way. The cost of falling for a Social Security scam is quite significant and generally in the thousands of dollars.
What Is This Scam
This scam is peculiar to the people of the United States. Identity theft is a serious offense in the US. The Social Security scam borders on that and the scammers have thrown caution to the wind as far as this crime is concerned.
This scam is premised on the fact that the scammers call you or email you to inform you about the precarious position you are in. Through this, they tell you that your social security has expired and you need to follow some steps to make it right.
They also ask people to wire them a certain amount as a fee. They do all that posing as government officials most specifically they claim to belong from the Social Security Administration.
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How Can I Spot A Social Security Scam
The Social Security Administration will never ask for your personal information, such as your Social Security number, date of birth, or bank account details, via email, text, or over the phone. SSA employees will never threaten you with arrest or other legal actions if you dont provide personal information.
Ways To Handle A Scam Call
As with any scam, the most important thing is to critically assess the situation and remain composed. Even if a person is involved in criminal activity, Social Security staff a call center full of collections agents to threaten to seize assets, or suspend their Social Security number.
If you get one of these calls, hang up and make a report to local authorities to assist them with prevention of such scams in the future. You can also report a Social Security scam here.
Remember:
- Scammers can spoof your caller ID
- Social Security doesnt threaten people
- Social Security will never demand a bank wire, bitcoin or iTunes gift cards
- Social Security wont suspend your SSN
- NEVER verify your Social Security number or other personal information to someone who calls randomly.
Knowing what to look out for is key to defending against most scams. To help you detect and avoid financial scams, Birch Gold Group has pulled together an extensive resource guide that is now available on our website. The Birch Gold Group Scam Protection Resource Guide helps you identify warning signs and provides you with tips on how to avoid fraud.
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Fbi Warns Public To Beware Of Government Impersonation Scams
Federal agencies do not threaten individuals or demand immediate payment
The FBI Boston Division has seen an increase in reports of scammers targeting New Englanders through unsolicited telephone calls in which the caller claims to be a representative of a government agency, including the FBI.
Be advised, federal agencies do not call or email individuals threatening arrest or demanding money. Scammers often spoof caller ID information, and these phone calls are fraudulent even if they appear to be coming from an agencys legitimate phone number. Recipients should hang up immediately and report the call.
There are many versions of the government impersonation scam, and they all exploit intimidation tactics. Typically, the caller advises the recipient of the call that charges have been, or soon will be, filed against them, and threatens to confiscate the recipients property, freeze their bank accounts, or have them arrested unless payment is made immediately. If the recipient questions the caller, the caller becomes more aggressive. The recipients are advised that it will cost thousands of dollars in fees or court costs to resolve the matter, and the caller typically instructs people to wire settlement money or provide payment via prepaid cards or gift cards to avoid arrest.
The FBI will never:
- Ask you to use large sums of your own money to help catch a criminal.
- Ask you for wire transfers or gift cards.
Is There A Scam Involving Social Security
Simply put, there is a scam going on that involves Social Security Administration.
This call from Social Security Administration scam is so cleverly devised that people have fallen for it in droves. As a result of that, they have been robbed out of their hard-earned money.
These social security fraud calls 2021 are making it hard for people to believe in anything that they receive on their electronic devices.
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How To Report Social Security Scams
If you suspect that youve been a victim of a Social Security scam or wish to report any attempts, you can call the Office of the Inspector General hotline from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, excluding Federal holidays. You can also submit a fraud report through the OIG website. In addition, filing a complaint through the Federal Trade Commissions website is also an option.
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Social Security Scam: What This Scam Is All About
People in the United States are sitting ducks to the scammers that are out there to commit identity theft. This is one serious issue that has been talked about in detail by the people who possess knowledge about such matters.
We are living in the age of technology where our lives are altered for the better in an unimaginable way. Almost all of our communications as well as transactions are done through one electronic device or another.
Add to it the blessing that the internet has turned out to be for all of us. As prosperous as we may feel amidst technology, there are some downsides to it as well. Scams are but one manifestation of that.
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Social Security Combats Fraud
Social Security has zero tolerance for fraud. We diligently work at the national, regional, and local levels to combat fraud that undermines our mission to serve the American public.
To meet this challenge, we work closely with the Office of the Inspector General which investigates allegations of fraud and seeks to bring offenders to justice. The OIG refers cases to U.S. attorneys within the Department of Justice, and other state and local prosecuting authorities, for prosecution as a federal crimes.
Visit our OIGs Investigations page to view a list of recent fraud investigations.
Scams Targeting Tax Professionals
Increasingly, tax professionals are being targeted by identity thieves. These criminals many of them sophisticated, organized syndicates – are redoubling their efforts to gather personal data to file fraudulent federal and state income tax returns. The Security Summit has a campaign aimed at tax professionals: Protect Your Clients Protect Yourself.
Schemes
Phishing is a scam where fraudsters send e-mail messages to trick unsuspecting victims into revealing personal and financial information that can be used to steal the victims identity.
The IRS has issued several alerts about the fraudulent use of the IRS name or logo by scammers trying to gain access to consumers financial information to steal their identity and assets.
Scam emails are designed to trick taxpayers into thinking these are official communications from the IRS or others in the tax industry, including tax software companies. These phishing schemes may seek information related to refunds, filing status, confirming personal information, ordering transcripts and verifying PIN information.
Be alert to bogus emails that appear to come from your tax professional, requesting information for an IRS form. IRS doesnt require Life Insurance and Annuity updates from taxpayers or a tax professional.
The sites may ask for information used to file false tax returns or they may carry malware, which can infect computers and allow criminals to access your files or track your keystrokes to gain information.
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Social Security Scams: 3 Common Requests And How To Report Them
In 2021, an average of 65 million Americans receive monthly Social Security checks, totaling over $1 trillion paid during the year.
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It comes as no surprise that scam artists will try almost anything from fake calls, text messages, emails and letters to get the personal information of Social Security beneficiaries. Last year, there were more than 718,000 reports of Social Security-related phone scams, adding to nearly $45 million in losses, CNBC reported.
How To Report A Suspicious Call Text Or Email:
When reporting these suspicious communications, please be sure to capture as much information as you can. This includes:
This information will help ensure that we can locate the suspicious communication.
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Apply For Social Security Benefits With Someone Else
The second scam involves someone approaching you and telling you that they can increase the amount of money you receive each month from social security benefits if you pay them a small fee.
Always assume that if someone approaches you asking too many questions out of the blue, it is always a red flag. Yes, there are strategies you can take advantage of to get bigger and better financial results, but this is not how to do so.
If you want to try and get more money each month, then you should consult a financial advisor and let him/her guide you. There are always books you can read that educate you on the proper way to do this.
It is also possible to appeal your checks size, but this must be done directly through the Social Security office. There is no cost to file an appeal. It can easily be a complicated process, so you are allowed to hire an outside source to help you.
Even if you are not a senior, it is still always a good thing to educate yourself and stay up to date with the most prevalent scams in all financial sectors. There are always scammers trying to trick you and get your money, regardless of your age.
Us Attorneys Office Reminds East Texans To Beware Of Social Security Scam Calls
BEAUMONT, Texas In connection with the Social Security Administrations March 4th National Slam the Scam Day, the United States Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Texas reminds the public to be vigilant of Social Security scam calls.
For the past year, we have seen a steady increase in Social Security-related scam calls, said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. The financial exploitation of older Americans will not be tolerated. We are partnering with the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General to spread the word about these scams. We encourage anyone who receives such calls to hang up.
We are working with the Department of Justice and law enforcement agencies across the United States to combat Social Security imposter scamsbut our best weapon in this fight will always be awareness, said Inspector General Gail S. Ennis. I want to thank the many agencies and organizations that have joined us in our effort this year to alert Americans to hang up on suspicious calls, and talk to their family and friends about phone scams.
The U.S. Attorneys Office and SSA-OIG offer the following information about how to spot these scams:
- SSA may call you in some situations, but will NEVER call you and:
- Tell you that your Social Security Number has been suspended or offer to increase your benefits or resolve an identity theft issue for a fee.
- Threaten you with arrest or legal action if you do not immediately pay a debt, fine, or fee.
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Fake Emails And Phishing
Victims can also be reeled in by phishing emails that appear to be messages from the SSA. The emails may have attachments that resemble actual letters from the SSA, complete with the agency’s seal and similar font styles. The email messages may also direct readers to a fake web page designed to look like the real SSA website.
The motive is to obtain personal information from you, which you should never provide. The same clues of fraudulent intent as with the phone calls apply here. The SSA says that legitimate emails from the agency never seek personal information and do not adopt an alarmist or threatening tone.
Protect Yourself From Identity Theft
The OIG provides 10 tips on Protecting Personal Information and details several actions to take if you suspect identity theft.
If someone uses your SSN to obtain credit, loans, telephone accounts, or other goods and services, contact the Federal Trade Commission . The FTC collects complaints about identity theft from those whose identities have been stolen. You may reach the FTCs identity theft hotline toll free at 1-877-IDTHEFT or visit their website at www.ftc.gov/idtheft.
Additional Resources:
Its helpful to know facts about the alleged fraud, such as:
- Description of the fraud.
- Location where the fraud took place.
- When the fraud took place.
- How the fraud was committed.
- Why the person committed the fraud .
- Anyone else who has knowledge of the potential violation.
The OIG will carefully review your allegation and take appropriate action. However, they cannot provide information regarding the actions taken on any reported allegation. Federal regulations prohibit the disclosure of information contained in law enforcement records, even to the individual making the allegation.
To learn more about reporting fraud, visit the OIGs Reporting Other Issues page. You will find information about Misuse of SSNs, Elder Abuse, Direct Express Account Fraud, and more. Also, watch their video How to Report Social Security Fraud for more details about the fraud referral process.
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Robo Calls Seek To Scam Over Social Security
Petersburg residents are reporting scam, robo-phone calls regarding their social security accounts.
This call is from the Social Security administration. We regret to inform you that your social security number ending with has been compromised for some suspicious and fraudulent activities and we have received orders from the state authorities to suspend your social security number on immediate basis.
Thats a message that Petersburg resident John Havrilek found on his answering machine last month. The caller had the correct four digits of his social security number, but Havrilek recognized it as a scam and reported it, rather than returning the call. Hes hoping no one is taken in by it.
Its always upsetting when someone has your personal information and weve heard for several months that these calls have existed but until you actually get it you dont realize how realistic and invasive it is, Havrilek said. So Im not pleased.
The Federal Trade Commission reported this as the top scam reported to that commission in December of 2019. A blog post says the real Social Security Administration will never call to threaten your benefits or tell you to wire money or put money on a gift card. Theres also more information about this scam on the Social Security Administrations web site. Residents should not return unknown calls or should hang up on callers that sound like a scam.
Five Ways To Recognize A Social Security Scam
In July, we reported on a rise in scam attempts where Social Security beneficiaries were being asked to pay to reactivate, protect, or restore their benefits. Currently, Social Security scams are the most commonly reported type of fraud and scam, and according to the Social Security Administrations Office of the Inspector General , these scams continue to evolve. The OIG is now warning the public that scammers are making phone calls and then following up with emails containing falsified documents aimed at convincing people to pay.
You may have received one of these calls either a recorded voice or a person falsely claiming to be a government employee, warning you of an issue with your Social Security number, account, or benefits, including identity theft. The caller may threaten arrest or other legal action, or they may offer to increase benefits, protect your assets, or resolve identity theft if you provide payment using a retail gift card, cash, wire transfer, internet currency such as Bitcoin, or a pre-paid debit card.
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