On National Slam the Scam Day and throughout the year, the Social Security Administration gives you the tools to recognize Social Security-related scams and stop scammers from stealing your money and personal information.
Help protect your loved ones and people in your community this Slam the Scam Day by:
1. Learning about the latest scams. Information can empower you to quickly recognize a scam. Signs of a scam include:
- An unexpected problem or offer of a prize or benefit increase,
- Pressure to act immediately, and
- A request for an unusual payment like cryptocurrency, gift cards, gold bars, and wire transfers, even with the promise of keeping your money “safe.”2. Reporting scams as soon as possible. Victims shouldn’t be embarrassed if they shared personal information or suffered a financial loss. We are all vulnerable.
3. Sharing the SSA’s Scam Alert fact sheet and helping educate others about how to protect themselves.
Report Social Security-related scams to the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General (OIG).
Visit www.ssa.gov/scam for more information and follow SSA OIG on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn to stay up to date on the latest scam tactics. Repost #SlamtheScam information on social media to keep your friends and family safe.
Government Impersonator Scams
What To Know About Government Impersonation Scams
A government impersonation scam often starts with a call, email, text, or social media message from someone who says they’re with a government agency. They might give you their “employee ID number” to sound official. And they might have information about you, like your name or home address.
They often say they work for the FTC, Social Security Administration, IRS, or Medicare — but sometimes they give you fake agency names, like the non-existent National Sweepstakes Bureau. They’ll also give you some reason why you need to send money or give them your personal information immediately. If you get a call or message like this, hang up or ignore it. It’s a scammer.
Government agencies will never call, email, text, or message you on social media to ask for money or personal information. Only a scammer will do that.
Be especially vigilant at this time of year as the annual benefit enrollment period for Medicare approaches.
How to avoid the scam
Don’t wire money or use gift cards, cryptocurrency, or a payment app to pay someone who says they’re with the government. Scammers insist you can only pay these ways because it’s hard to track that money, and just as hard to get it back. They’ll take your money and disappear.
Don’t give your financial or personal information to someone who calls, texts, emails, or messages you on social media and says they’re with the government. If you think a call or message could be real, stop. Hang up the phone and call the government agency directly at a number you know is correct. If the call is a robocall, don’t press any numbers. Pressing numbers could lead to more calls.
Don’t trust your caller ID. Your caller ID might show the government agency’s real phone number or name — like “Social Security Administration.” But caller ID can be faked. It could be anyone calling from anywhere in the world.
Don’t click on links in unexpected emails, texts, or social media messages. Scammers send emails and messages that look like they’re from a government agency but are designed to steal your money and personal information. Don’t click on any link, and don’t pass it on to others. Just delete the message.
Back To School Scams
The Federal Communications Commission is warning college students to be on alert for scammers seeking to capitalize on the busy academic season.
Such scams may be harder to spot alongside legitimate fundraisers and other efforts that genuinely seek to assist students and their parents. Top student scams include scholarship, tech support, and roommate and rental scams. Campus scammers aren't just using cold calls or robocalls to hijack personal information; they're also sending deceptive e-mails and text messages that appear to be official. A recent article in USA TODAY also highlights such campus scams and how to recognize them. Other common scams include fake scholarship offers, USA Today reports.
Things for students and their families to keep in mind:
- You are not required to make loan payments over the phone.
- Student scams are not limited to the start of the school year; be mindful of scams year-round.
- Never provide personally identifiable information over the phone, including Social Security numbers, bank account and routing numbers, and credit and debit card numbers.
- Be sure to keep any student loan information guarded, as scammers tend to target students with loans.
- Monitor your financial records and bank account information closely and often.
For more information on how to avoid phone scams and other unwanted calls or texts, visit www.fcc.gov/robocalls.
If you’ve been the target of unwanted calls and spoofing or other matters, you are encouraged to file a complaint with the FCC. Click here for details.
Grandkid and Family Scams - Using a Family Code Word
Last time, we talked about how scammers rely on urgency or panic to prompt their victims to act immediately on their fraudulent requests. There is another emerging threat, however. With the rise of artificial intelligence (A.I.), the ability for machines to mimic human voices and speech patterns now exists. The sound of these computer-generated voices can be extremely convincing, causing the victim to believe they are actually speaking with a loved one. Increasing prevalence of A.I. is one reason to consider letting unknown numbers go straight to voicemail. Your voice could be recorded and be quickly and easily spoofed. But that is a topic for another day.
One method to help stop these scammers and “bots” is to have a family code word or “safe word”. This is a secret word or phrase that cannot be found out by someone who is scouring social media sites. For example, this is the same concept used with children to teach them not to get into a stranger’s car unless that person knows the code word.
The code word doesn’t have to be complicated, but should not be a word that is used daily or would be easy to find out via social media. Not a pet’s name or a nickname. Choose a word or phrase that someone outside of the family would never guess. Be creative and think out of the box; it could be a word or phrase that is an inside joke, or something completely random and off-the-wall. Be sure to practice the word with your loved ones for several weeks in private so that can be remembered if it is needed.
One problem with a code word is that it’s hard to remember because is not - and should not - be used often. Periodically review your code word with loved ones and see if they can remember it. Change your family code word once it is used.
When a scam caller or bot doesn’t know or use the word, you can assume that it is a scam. If they cannot provide the code word, hang up. By implementing a family code word, you can help your loved ones reduce their vulnerability to phone scams.
Grandkid and Family Scams
One of the most heartbreaking scams is one where the victim receives a call, text or email from a loved one claiming that they’re in trouble and need financial help. It happens all to often and can decimate your savings in the blink of an eye. And that’s on top of the emotional damage from being the victim of a scam.
In the heat of the moment, and because the caller stresses that it’s urgent, it can be easy to believe that it really is your grandchild or other loved one who’s in trouble. Scammers are really good at convincing you that they are someone they’re not. Information gleaned from social media or a hacked account can make the scam even more convincing. The get you to send money right away before you have time to think about it or check out their story.
Before sending money, take a breath and try to verify the information. Call the family member’s number directly and speak to them. Have another family member verify the claim as well.
What else to do: Report the scam to the FTC (information at the bottom of this page) and let other friends know of the scam. It could happen to them to, and the more we spread awareness, the sooner we can try to slow down or stop the scammers
Welcome to Stonycreek Township’s scam awareness blog
Here at Stonycreek Township we’re committed to helping to educate our community members about scams that could affect anyone, but primarily target older adults. Watch this page for new information periodically that provides tools & tips for talking with your loved ones about avoiding scams and fraud.
Let’s start by talking about what a scam is. The dictionary defines a scam as a dishonest plan for making money or getting an advantage, especially one that involves tricking people.
Wikipedia says that a scam, or a confidence trick, is an attempt to defraud a person or group after first gaining their trust. Confidence tricks exploit victims using a combination of the victim's credulity, naïveté, compassion, vanity, confidence, irresponsibility, and greed.
No matter how you define it, becoming the victim of a scam can take a big toll financially and emotionally. Next time we’ll dive into specific types of scams and what you can do to be alert and prevent them, as well as how to report a scam that you’re aware of. For now, here are links to help:
Resources:
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) - https://consumer.ftc.gov/scams
FBI - https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes
US Federal Government - https://www.usa.gov/scams-and-fraud
Consumer Reports - https://www.consumerreports.org/money/scams-fraud/how-to-protect-yourself-from-scams-and-fraud-a6839928990/