National Slam the Scam Day!

U.S. Inspector General Announces March 5th as National “Slam the Scam” Day

Today, March 4^th, 2020 has been designated as National “Slam the Scam” Day to raise public awareness about government imposter telephone scams across the US. 

These scams feature callers who pretend to be government employees in order to mislead victims into providing personal information or making payments.  The Federal Trade Commission reported that victims lost nearly $153 million to these scams last year.

What to Watch For

Social Security phone scammers may:

• Threaten arrest or legal action against you unless you pay a fine
• Promise to increase your benefits or resolve identity theft if you pay a fee
• Demand payment with retail gift cards, wire transfers, internet currency, or by mailing cash
• Try to convince you by using spooked caller ID number or officials’ real names, or by emailing fake documents

DO NOT BELIEVE THEM!

If you owe money to Social Security, the agency will mail you a letter with payment options and appeal rights.  Social Security does not suspend Social Security numbers or demand secrecy from you, EVER!

What to Do

If you receive a suspicious phone call:

• Hang up!
• Do not give them money or personal information!
• Report the scam at ssa.gov

Exercise Caution

In general, no government agency or reputable company will call or email you unexpectedly and request your personal information.  Nor will they request advance fees for services in the form of wire transfers or gift cards. Build a habit of verifying the identity of anyone who asks for your personal information over the phone and say you will respond through the entity's customer service channels. If anyone pressures you to provide information or money over the phone, it's a scam and you should just hang up.