Jan. 2, 2020 – The Social Security Administration reports that Social Security impersonation scams were on the rise in 2019 and have become the leading type of fraud reported to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Federal Trade Commission.
These deceptions target everyone, including some of the vulnerable citizens that NCDHHS serves. Scammers may go to great lengths to trick people into providing personal information and money. When successful, their ploys can cause financial ruin and hardship for many of their victims.
Typical approaches by scammers who call you or send you an email may include:
- Mention of a problem with your Social Security number.
- Threat of arrest unless a you pay fines or fees using gift cards, pre-paid debit cards, wire transfers or cash.
These types of calls and emails are not from the SSA. If you receive a suspicious call, hang up. If you receive a suspicious email, do not reply.
The SSA encourages people who are targeted to report details of the communication to the Office of the Inspector General on their website, oig.ssa.gov. The website includes a SSA Impostor Scam Reporting Form that asks for information about the scam communication and what occurred as a result of it. The SSA is coordinating closely with OIG to support efforts to disrupt these scams.