Green Valley News & Posada Life Community Services – April 11, 2021
They are at it again. The pandemic put a stop to many of our normal everyday activities in 2020. What it didn’t do was stop scammers from stealing money and personal information by exploiting fear, a skill they honed even during the COVID crisis.
Last year, the Offices of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration received more than 718,000 reports of Social Security-related telephone scams — with a total of nearly $45 million reported lost. Victims who lost money reported an average loss of $6,100 in 2020.
Sadly, bad actors are always finding new ways to dupe unsuspecting citizens, and they’re getting more creative in their scam tactics. The Green Valley News reported several cases involving local residents who lost out in the past year because they trusted the con man or con woman. One resident lost $190,000 in a Social Security scam.
Pima Council on Aging recommends knowing how to identify a con artist’s strategy and learn to ignore suspicious calls and emails.
Social Security’s fraud prevention experts report that crooks have become very ingenious and that the public should always be on the defense.
The first words of advice: Do not use caller ID to verify that the caller is a government employee. Many scam calls imitate official government numbers, such as the Social Security’s Administration’s national 800 number, the Social Security Fraud Hotline, local Social Security field offices, SSA press offices, or local police numbers. Impostors may even use legitimate names and phone numbers of SSA employees.
The real SSA number is 1-800-772-1213, but scammers are putting that number in the caller ID. If you’re worried about what the caller says, hang up and call 1-800-772-1213 to speak to the real SSA.
One common tactic fraudsters use is posing as federal agents and other law enforcement. They may claim your Social Security number is linked to a crime. They may even threaten to arrest you if you do not comply with their instructions.
Below are some smart suggestions when dealing with Social Security scammers:
Hang up right away or do not reply to the email.
Never give personal information, money, or retail gift cards.
Never give your Social Security number to anyone who contacts you. Don’t confirm the last four digits. And don’t give a bank account or credit card number — ever — to anybody who contacts you asking for it.
Report the scam immediately to the law enforcement team at the Office of the Inspector General at: https://oig.ssa.gov
Call the Pima County Sheriff’s Auxiliary Volunteers with information about the scam at: (520) 351-6715, or email: scamsquad@gvsav.org. To report suspicious activity or a particular incident of fraud (which is a scam involving a loss of money), call (520) 351-4900.
You should continue to remain vigilant of phone calls when someone says there’s a problem with your Social Security number or your benefits.
Notices and letters are one of the main ways that the SSA communicates with the public. Whenever SSA sends a notice or letter, it is because there is something you should know or do about your claim, benefit status or benefit amount. If you owe Social Security money, they will mail you a letter explaining your rights, payment options, and information about appealing.