SCAM: THEY WANT YOUR MONEY OR IDENTITY

Everyday calls are made to thousands of people, telling them that there is fraudulent activity on their Social Security card, their card has been suspended and they must take action. In 2019, Americans received 450,000 of these fake calls.

Sometimes, the scam caller has good news.  You can get a cost of living raise, more benefits or an extra check.  The caller just needs to verify your Social Security number, name, or address.  This is always a scam call.

Often, they will leave a toll free number for you to call to clear up the problem.  This is not the Social Security Administration on the end of the call; it is a criminal.

These calls are always, always, always scams.  Criminals are calling to try to get your name, address, Social Security number, bank information, etc.  Or, they will ask you to send them money, use a debit or credit card to transfer money to them--or even to send them pre-paid gift cards of some type.

Some things to realize when you get one of these scam calls:

1.  Social Security never (never) calls anyone on the phone to report or talk about fraudulent activity or problems. It's always a scam!

2.  Social Security never (never) suspends a Social Security number.  Even if you wanted this to happen, it would take an "act of Congress" to get it done.

3.  Social Security will never (never) call you to say they are suspending your check unless you act.  Doesn't happen.

4.  Social Security will never (never) ask you to send them money, gift cards or checks, and they will never (never) ask you to make any kind of payment over the phone.

5.  Social Security will never call you to ask for such information as your Social Security number, address, bank account number, name of your bank, date of birth, or any other personal information.  If you provide someone you don't know with this information over the phone, you are allowing them to

• steal your identity
• rob your bank or savings account
• open credit cards in your name
• use your credit cards to make purchases or cash advances
• take trips or vacations at your expense
• make expensive purchases and charge them to you
• get medical care at your expense
• buy airline tickets and charge them to you
• etc., etc., etc., the problems go on and on......

What to do if you get one of these calls from someone claiming to be from Social Security, Medicare, the IRS, the US Treasury Department, etc. (all scams).....

1.  Tell them nothing, not even your name.

2.  Give them no information of any kind.

3.  Never give your Social Security number, even if they say they just want to "verify" it.  They really want to steal it.

3.  Hang up immediately.  Don't argue with them.

4. Never give them your phone number (they probably don't know it, even though they have just called you).

5.  Don't do anything they tell you to do, such as logging in to your computer, buying a money order or gift card, etc.

These scam artists are very good.  They will try to keep you talking to convince you they are for real and win you over.  The longer you talk, the more danger you are in.  Hang up.

Where Do These Scammers Get Your Number?

• They probably do not have your phone number.
• They use a computer that dials phone numbers randomly.
• If it really were Social Security, they would already have your name, address and Social Security number.
• If it really were Social Security, Treasury Department or the IRS, they would contact you by US Mail, not by phone.

Why can't the government protect you and stop these scams?  For one, most of these operators are based outside the United States, in India, Bangladesh, Vietnam or some other country.  The US has no power to reach them.  Secondly, there are thousands of them who move around frequently.  Third, the American telephone companies enable the scammers by making their telephone lines, numbers and networks available to them, mostly unintentionally, by failure to enact security policies that might stop the scammers.  This is gradually changing; however, the government needs to do more to require the phone companies to make this more difficult.

In the meantime, you must protect yourself.

Is it ever safe to give your personal information to someone who calls you on the phone?  I'm going to say NO.