March 10, 2022 is national “Slam the Scam” Day, an outreach campaign to raise public awareness of Social Security scams and other government imposter scams. The initiative is part of National Consumer Protection Week, held March 6-12, 2022.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, the agency received over 396,000 complaints of government imposter scams in 2021. Nearly 9% of those reporting a scam said they lost money to a scammer. To prevent further losses, the Social Security Administration and others urge everyone to use caution when receiving calls from someone claiming to be from a government agency.
“Scammers are constantly thinking up new ways to steal personal information and money from unsuspecting victims, and they often pose as government officials,” said County Executive Ilene Shapiro. “If you receive a suspicious call from someone claiming to be a government official, the best thing you can do is hang up the phone.”
Remember, the Social Security Administration and other government agencies will never:
- Threaten arrest or legal action if someone does not immediately send money to resolve an overpayment.
- Promise to increase benefits or resolve identity theft issues for a fee or by moving money into a protected account.
- Require payment with a retail gift card, prepaid debit card, cryptocurrency, wire transfer, internet currency, or by mailing cash.
- Send text or email messages that contain personal information.
To protect yourself from scammers:
- Hang up on suspicious calls from “government officials” calling about a problem with your Social Security number or account.
- NEVER make payments with gift cards, wire transfers, or by mailing cash.
- Report Social Security scams to OIG.SSA.GOV.
- Report other scams to reportfraud.ftc.gov.
