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SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, I received a phone call that left me shaken and bewildered. The voice on the other end claimed to be from the Social Security Administration. The caller informed me that my Social Security number had been compromised in a significant security breach. My heart raced as I contemplated the potential consequences, even as the urgency in the caller’s voice gave me little time to think.
The caller asked for my personal information, including my Social Security number, date of birth and bank account details. Struggling to maintain composure, I hesitated. A glimmer of suspicion arose, but the anxiety of the situation clouded my judgment. With trembling fingers, I began to provide the information the caller requested.
Fortunately, just before I could divulge my banking information, a tiny voice within me screamed to stop. The realization struck like a lightning bolt—I was about to fall victim to a scam. I hung up and took a deep breath. The situation slowly sank in, and I realized I’d narrowly escaped a potentially devastating financial and personal security breach.
In the aftermath, I set out to understand the tactics employed by these scammers and how I could safeguard myself against future incidents. What I discovered was both eye-opening and disturbing. Social Security scams have become increasingly sophisticated, preying on people’s fears and vulnerabilities.
Social Security scams often involve perpetrators who impersonate Social Security Administration (SSA) officials and use scare tactics to manipulate victims. The scammers might claim that your Social Security number has been compromised, that your benefits are in danger or that you owe money to the government. These tactics create a sense of urgency and panic, pushing victims into making hasty decisions.
How can you protect yourself? Here are six lessons I learned:
1. Stay calm. Scammers thrive on creating panic and urgency. It’s crucial to remain composed and not let fear cloud your judgment. If a caller claims to be from the SSA and demands immediate action, take a deep breath and assess the situation.
2. Verify the caller’s identity. The SSA will rarely, if ever, call you out of the blue. If you receive a call, ask for the caller’s name, badge number and a callback number. Hang up and then independently verify the caller’s identity by going to the SSA website and finding an official agency phone number to call.
3. Protect personal information. Never share your Social Security number, bank account details or any other sensitive information over the phone with someone you don’t know. Legitimate institutions won’t ask for such information over the phone.
4. Use two-factor authentication. If you have online access to your Social Security account, enable two-factor authentication for an extra layer of security. This ensures that, even if scammers have your password, they won’t be able to access your account without the additional authentication step.
5. Educate yourself. Take the time to educate yourself and your loved ones about various scams, including Social Security scams. Awareness is the first line of defense against these schemes.
6. Report suspicious activity. If you get a suspicious call or believe a scam has targeted you, report it to the Federal Trade Commission and the SSA. Your report could help prevent others from becoming victims.
Lyle Solomon has been a member of the California State Bar since 2003. He graduated in 1998 from the University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, and currently works for the Oak View Law Group in California as a principal attorney.
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If you don’t answer the phone, you will not get scammed.
If the caller is legitimate, he/she will leave a message (they very rarely do).
When I get these calls, I start reciting random numbers. After about 20-25 digits, the scammers realize that I’m playing with them. It’s great when they hang up on me. It’s better when they start to curse me out. . . .
COOL!
A good friend got a call and was addressed as ‘My beautiful Queen’…. She played him for two days and had the guy call her business associate for confirmation. The associate was the county sheriff and after the scammer knew that, my friend wasn’t addressed as a queen in his next and final call to her!
If they asked for SS# you might have realized it was a scam right then and there–they have your # and and are telling you it was compromised. I get these scam calls all the time and like David just play with them.
“you fixed my computer last week and now you want to do it again–if you were incompetent last week just think how incompetent you will be today.”
About 5 years ago, before this scam became well known, I was awakened by a call saying it was from Social Security and to call another number. I did and from a man with a foreign accent told me a wild story about a car registered to me was found with my name and a “white powder” in it.
I realize that I was still in a dream state as he had me give him my car VIN #.
He then asked how much was in my bank accounts. I actually told him. When he finally asked for the account numbers, I snapped out of my trance and said, “This is a scam!” and hung up.
I called Social Security and they confirmed the scam.
A year later a friend nearly fell for the same thing but was somehow able to stop money he had sent.
I don’t answer calls if I just got up (or most calls now). I was contracting with SSA at the time which was why I did then.
If he is informing you that your SS# has been breached, he should know what it is. He should not have to ask you. That and the other info he asked about is a dead giveaway that he is a fraudster.
I would immediately hangup and call SS to see if this was true.
as we headed to the 60’s, 70’s, and later years, in addition to manage our retirement funds, we have to deal with cybersecurity issues such as phishing, smishing. there is an army of scammers from india that use every methods of social engineering to capture your personal info to achieve their ultimate goal, your retirement fund.
Why not tell them, “I just gave you all that information last week when you called?” The last liar always wins.
Congrats on your quick actions and not succumbing to the scam.
Clark Howard recently (within the last few years) updated his recommendation to be the same as @mytimetotravel below, which is never to answer an unknown call. (Unless you are expecting a call, for instance if your car is in the shop and the mechanic might call or something.) If someone has business with you they can leave a message.
Other government agencies that the scammers use: FBI, IRS, US Marshalls, local police or other local officials, etc.
Also, point number 4 cannot be emphasized enough: two-factor authentication (2FA) is imperative for all accounts nowadays. My wife recently complained that it was a hassle having to do the 2FA check every time she logged into a particular account, which led to an over ambitious discussion by me of its importance.
I have learned to answer calls.. a few times it has been my kids trying to get in touch with me from school. Once before they had a cell phone, and once when her phone battery had run down and she borrowed a friend’s phone. I just say “no thank you” and hang up otherwise.
I’ve read that the scammers are getting better at deceiving their victims. Most people when caught unprepared and are preoccupied are more vulnerable to deception. For this reason, frequent reminders such as this article may help remind the person receiving such a call or text to be skeptical.
Thank you for these warnings. I believe that , just like the IRS that the SSA will never call you on the phone unless it’s a prearranged phone call.
From the SSA website:
”If there is a problem with your Social Security number or account, we will mail you a letter. Generally, we will only contact you if you have requested a call or have ongoing business with us, but we will never:
it is really scary that the number of scams we see each day . I see this especially on email attacks wanting you to click on a link to take you to a site to correct the problem. It’s always best to go to the website for your non-financial institution get the phone number and call them to see if this problem is legit. You can also expand the sender’s email address on an email if it looks suspicious make sure that the email looks legit.
it is such a shame in the world we live in the people would pry on senior citizens.
Thanks for the post.
Sorry for the scare, and thanks for the warning. However, you have omitted the best protection:
Do not answer calls from unknown numbers.
If your phone doesn’t recognize the number, don’t pick up. If it’s a call you actually need to answer the caller will leave a message. I rarely answer an unknown number call, and when I do I’m on the alert for a scam.
A more insidious technique, that is becoming popular, is a text rather than a call.