You know those annoying calls and texts claiming to be a government agency with urgent information about your Social Security benefits ending or taxes you owe…don’t fall for it. The Social Security Administration (SSA) says that government agencies won’t call, email or text asking for money or personal information — only a scammer will do that.
In 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received over 228,282 complaints of government imposter scams, with Social Security as the most frequently impersonated agency. Over 14 percent said they lost money to a scammer — a total of more than $126.5 million for Social Security scams. To prevent further losses, the SSA is urging everyone to use caution when receiving calls from someone claiming to be from a government agency.
Recognizing the basic signs of a scam is helpful in stopping fraudulent activity. Remember: Scammers pretend to be from an agency or organization you know to gain your trust; Scammers say there is a problem or a prize; Scammers pressure you to act immediately; Scammers tell you to pay in a specific way.
The SSA says that residents should hang up on suspicious calls from “government officials” calling about a problem with their Social Security number or account, never make payments with gift cards, wire transfers, or by mailing cash, and report Social Security scams to https://oig.ssa.gov. Report other scams to https://reportfraud.ftc.gov.
