WASHINGTON, D.C.
The Social Security Administration and the Office of the Inspector General have partnered to raise public awareness about Social Security imposter scams as part of their third annual Slam the Scam Day on Thursday.
Officials warn that there are a number of scams where fraudsters attempt to mislead victims into making cash or gift card payments to fix purported Social Security number problems or to avoid arrest.
For several years, Social Security impersonation scams have been one of the most common government imposter scams reported to the Federal Trade Commission. While the Social Security Administration has made concerted efforts to address this issue, and related reports of such scam to the OIG has decreased by more than 20% since 2020, millions of Americans are still at risk from such fraudulent activity.
“I am proud of the work we have done to combat Social Security imposter scams, yet I remain deeply concerned that fraudsters continue trying to deceive people into providing personal information or money,” said Acting Social Security Commissioner Kilolo Kijakazi. “Above all, I urge people to remain alert, hang up if a scammer calls, and ignore their attempts if you receive a suspicious email, text, or letter.”
Criminals are sophisticated and there are many variations of this fraud scheme, officials said. For example, scammers may call or email saying they are from Social Security and that the person’s Social Security number is suspended or…
