David W. Magann, P.A. Advises How Social Security Scammers Don’t Take a Break
It is vitally important that those who receive Social Security benefits are aware of the high number of scams and schemes making the rounds. It’s not just a few scammers here and there.
It is a constant onslaught of fraudsters attempting to pressure people into making gift card payments or cash donations to help fix supposedly problematic Social Security numbers or any other scheme they may think is plausible. Many Americans fall for these scams, and Social Security impersonators are common.
Fake scams like this make the rounds on a regular basis. As a result, Social Security continues to deal with the issue through investigations and a high level of public outreach to those who receive benefits. According to the Social Security Administration, they made a meaningful impact in reducing money lost to scams from 2021 to 2022 by 30 percent.
There are a number of ways to try and trick beneficiaries to give out personal information. Most often used is the Four P Method – Pretend there is a Problem (or Prize), ratchet up the Pressure, and demand Payment. Most often, a fake caller tells the person on the phone there is something wrong with their social security number.
Often scammers say the person’s social security number is suspended. That never happens. Ever. If there is a problem of some sort with a person’s social security number or record, they are usually contacted by the SSA via mail. For further information on reporting and protecting against scam callers, visit HERE. Or, visit HERE.
Another tactic commonly used is to send fake documents to apply pressure on beneficiaries. The documents may look like legitimate government documents, and the phone number that appears on the call display is more often than not spoofed and may look like a government office phone number. Is it not. Hang up and call the nearest local SSA office to report the scam attempt.