There are always those who wish to prey upon others in society. With all the technology available today, it is, unfortunately, quite easy for a scammer to do this. If you receive SSD, you may become a victim of such a scam because they use scare tactics to trick you.
The Social Security Administration has a new Public Service Announcement to help protect you from scams. This is in response to currently circulating scams that are causing many people problems. The scams involve contact by phone or email and are an attempt to collect money from you or gather other identifying information.
Identify the scams
The scammers claim they are from the SSA. They will typically use one of two scams. The first is to get money from you through fear. The person on the phone claims there are problems with your account and that you are subject to arrest if you do not pay them a certain amount of money. The second scam is that there is an issue with identity theft and your Social Security number. Again, they need some type of financial transaction to clear up the issue.
There is also now a third version of the scam that occurs over email. The scammers send you fake documents in an email. These documents look authentic and claim there is an issue with your account. The goal is the same: to get money and information from you.
Stop the scams
The best way to prevent yourself from falling victim to such a scam is to always verify who is on the other end of the phone or where an email is coming from. You can contact the SSA and ask if they made a phone call to you about a problem or sent you an email. Never give money, gift cards or any information about yourself to anyone calling you and saying they are from the SSA. This is not a normal method of business for the agency. You can also check out the PSA for more information and tips on keeping safe.