Understanding the Escalation of Social Security Scams
Social Security scams are nothing new. However, recently they have escalated. In these common scams, crooks pretend they are from the Social Security government agency. Scammers may reach out to potential victims via calls, texts, or emails. It is important to note that the Social Security Administration is not in the habit of randomly contacting people. Additionally, they will not threaten or push for personal information. Nor will they require payments or ask for gift card numbers. Those actions are big signals of scams. People should not engage with these fraudsters and instead report suspicious activity or theft of personal information to https://www.ssa.gov/
Identifying Email-Based Scams
A most recent scam involves emails that look official but are fake. The emails may include look—alike logos and fake case numbers. One type of scam email states that the “allotted Social Security Number has been suspended within 24 hours because of malicious doing.” There is a termination letter attached stating the following (or similar verbiage):
They provide a number to call for assistance if you are not the person who accessed the account.
The scammers, attempting to gain your trust, also state the following:
We value your trust and will do everything in our power to prevent this from happening in the future. Thank you for understanding and we hope to hear from you soon.
Spotting the Red Flags in Social Security Scam
Six key things stand out. First, the SSA will not send random emails. Second, the address from which the email came looks suspicious. Third, there were some misspellings and punctuation issues in the message above the attached form letter. Fourth, and most obvious, Social Security numbers cannot be suspended, revoked, frozen or blocked. Fifth, upon reverse searching the phone number, it is a high-risk one associated with scams. Sixth, correspondence that contains a threat, in this case to suspend one’s SSN number, is a red flag of a scam.
Preventing Victimization by Social Security Scammers
Nowadays, it’s easy to fall prey to scammers. The Social Security Administration warns that criminals continue to evolve and find new ways to steal your money and personal information. Thus, people must take extra care not to become victims. This means being cautious with correspondence received. Should you receive a random or suspicious-type email or message, it’s best to delete it rather than risk opening it or responding. Do not click on links or call phone numbers provided to you as these can lead you directly to scammers. Additionally, never engage with unknown callers, no matter how convincing they may sound. It’s best to simply hang up rather than risk putting confidential information into the wrong hands.
Read about more Scams AMAC Members should be aware of!