SCAMS- Knowing How Government Agencies Will Communicate with You

Government agencies have specific ways that they communicate with the public. Often, however, scammers will send emails, text messages, social media messages, or phone calls in mass and see who responds. As part of National Consumer Protection Week (March 3 through March 9) and Slam the Scam Day (March 7) the Social Security Administration is conducting an education campaign about imposter scams that pretend to be from the Social Security Administration. This includes what the Social Security will do and will not do.

Social Security says that it will never:

 

·         Threaten you with arrest or legal action because you don’t agree to pay money immediately.

·         Suspend your Social Security number.

·         Claim to need personal information or payment to activate a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) or other benefit increase.

·         Pressure you to take immediate action, including sharing personal information.

·         Ask you to pay with gift cards, prepaid debit cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or by mailing cash.

·         Threaten to seize your bank account.

·         Offer to move your money to a “protected” bank account.

·         Demand secrecy.

·         Direct message you on social media.

 

Social Security also points out that scammers are known to:

 

·         Use legitimate names of Office of Inspector General or Social Security Administration employees.

·         “Spoof” official government phone numbers, or even numbers for local police departments.

·         Send official-looking documents by U.S. mail or attachments through email, text, or social media message.

 

Most governmental agencies will not make initial contact with you through email, text, social media, or with a phone call. And they will not ask for money or your personal information. No matter how dire the person claims your situation is, don’t click on links or return an email, text, or social media message and if they call you hang up. If you want to talk to the agency look up their contact information with a web search.

  

For more information on Social Security imposter scams check out this link,

Social Security Administration:

https://www.ssa.gov/scam/

 

Here is more information about government impersonation scams,

Federal Trade Commission:

https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-government-impersonation-scam

 

Here is some general information about National Consumer Protection Week from the Better Business Bureau,

Better Business Bureau:

https://www.bbb.org/all/national-consumer-protection-week-partnership