3 Common Social Security Scams And How To Protect Yourself

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While reports of Social Security scams have held steady in recent years, experts say it’s still critical to be aware of deceptive tactics like fake phone calls, letters and emails attempting to get money or personal information from victims. Official-sounding language and realistic visuals can make these scams hard to spot if you don’t know what to look for.

Here are the most recent Social Security-related scams and what you need to watch out for.

1. Remote job scams

Fake job offers are increasingly being used to trick individuals who are looking for remote roles.

These scams involve people posing as recruiters promoting phony roles like administrative assistants, claims handler or benefits coordinator at various government agencies. Scammers may also use counterfeit government email addresses, fake but official-looking paperwork and even spoofed phone numbers to lure the victim in.

Then, the scammer requests sensitive personal details, such as your Social Security number, other government-issued IDs and financial information. The scammer may also ask the victim to cover the costs associated with training supplies or equipment for the proposed role.

Red flags to watch out for:

• Job offers that come from unknown sources through phone, text, email or social media.
• Emails that come from a non-government domain or don’t end in “gov.”
• You receive requests from someone for personal or financial information as part of the job offer.
• Someone demands fees to secure your employment for said job.

2. An email asking you to download a Social Security statement

Scammers are also sending emails that appear to come straight from the Social Security Administration (SSA).

The emails attempt to trick people into clicking on a link within the body of the email to download a Social Security statement. Instead of leading you to a statement, these links bring the victim to fake websites not connected to the real SSA, putting both your personal information and computer at risk.

Red flags to watch out for:

• Unsolicited emails that come from an address that doesn’t end in “gov.”
• Emails that urge you to take action quickly, like downloading a statement.

If you do receive a suspicious email, flag the message as phishing or spam using your email app’s built-in reporting feature. Then, delete the email and visit the SSA portal directly to check your account safely if you’re concerned.

3. In-person meet-ups

Some of the most intimidating scams take place in person, where scammers get victims to hand over money or other valuables by using deceptive tactics and fake identities.

Here’s how it works:

• Impostors pose as government officials, such as SSA inspectors or law enforcement.

• They then ask you to meet them in person to give them cash, gold or another non-traceable form of payment. The individual might even show a fake ID badge that looks real or use names of actual government officials to trick you. But in reality, it’s all a dangerous set-up to get you to meet in person and hand over valuables.

These scams can be incredibly convincing and costly. Recently, a victim gave $2 million worth of gold bars to a scammer claiming to be a CIA agent, according to the SSA. Last year, a woman in Ohio liquidated $500,000 in retirement savings to buy gold for scammers posing as SSA agents over the phone and spoofing the number. The months-long scam ended with two “SSA agents” coming to her house to pick up the gold.

Red flags to watch out for:

• Anyone who asks for a payment to fix an account problem, resolve a legal issue or reactivate your account.
• Anyone who reaches out claiming to be a government official who asks you to meet up in person and hand over cash, gold or other types of non-traceable assets.
• Someone who shows their government badge over email or text to try to gain your trust.
• Anyone who pushes you to turn your savings into cash or precious metals.

How to protect yourself from Social Security scams

The first step in defeating the scammers is to be suspicious of anyone who claims to be from Social Security and says there’s a problem or asks for any kind of personal information.

“Unfortunately, some of these scams will sound legitimate at first, and unless you know that they are actually occurring, you could easily fall victim to them,” says Jordan Sowhangar, CFP and wealth advisor at Girard in Souderton, Pennsylvania.

Here are a few other tips to keep yourself safe, according to experts.

• Ask questions: If you’re having problems determining whether the call is real, get curious. “Ask questions and do not provide any information over the phone,” Sowhangar says. “The more questions you ask, the more likely the scammer is to get frustrated or annoyed and give up on the scam.”
• Hang up: You don’t have to take the caller’s word for it. “If you’re ever unsure of any company’s credibility that reaches out to you via phone, hang up and call their direct line,” says Mark Ruchie, former chief information security officer at Entrust. If it’s a real issue, someone will know about it when you call back and be able to help you.
• Screen your calls: Seniors can even take more proactive measures before that. “The best step that seniors can take to protect themselves is screening their phone calls,” says Leslie Tayne, head attorney at Tayne Law Group in Melville, New York. “Program contacts into your home phone or cell phone or ask a loved one to do so.”
• Be on the lookout: Check where emails and texts come from. See what the agency says on its website about sending texts and emails. Hover over links to see if they go to a .gov site. “When you follow a new link, click on the padlock in the browser bar and on the certificate to verify that the website has a valid owner,” Ruchie says. “These are basic best practices that everyone should follow.”

How to spot a Social Security scam

Vigilant consumers should be on the lookout for the telltale signs of a scammer. In general, scammers are looking to provoke an emotional reaction so that you act before you’re able to think, coaxing you to give up vital information that can then be used to defraud you.

• Threatening language: Scammers look to rile you up so that you’re scared and act before your better instincts kick in. Threats might involve imprisonment or being cut off from Social Security or Medicare.
• Accusatory language: Fraudsters may accuse you of illegal activity on your account in order to stoke your emotions.
• Immediate payment: If someone reaches out claiming to be from Social Security and pressures you into an immediate payment, then it’s a scam.
• Secrecy: If a caller insists on secrecy, then it’s a scam.
• Text messages: If you receive a text that tells you to call an unknown number, then it’s fraudulent. You won’t get texts from Social Security unless you’ve opted into them.
• “Phishing” emails: These emails may look close to the real thing — they can even include SSA branding and logos — but they’re designed to make you click on a link that takes you to a look-alike but fraudulent Social Security site. Once there, you’ll be asked for personal information, or your computer will be flooded with malware, which allows the scammer to access your personal information. Legitimate emails from Social Security do not ask for personal information.
• Further requests for personal information: Scammers may devise new methods for tricking consumers or rely on more proven ones, such as traditional mail. Either way, they’re out for your personal info, so be wary whenever you receive an unsolicited contact purporting to come from Social Security.

How to report a Social Security scam

From there, you have more concrete steps to take. The SSA advises you to hang up on any calls and report them immediately to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG). You can also call the government agency at 1-800-269-0271 to report the scam. If you’re the victim of identity theft, you can contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to report that issue.

You’ll need to provide as much detail on your interaction with the scammer as possible, including the “who, what, when, where, how and why,” according to the OIG website.

Then tell friends and family so they can be on the lookout for the scam. The more people who report a scam, the more likely other people are to see and hear about it before they’re tricked.

Bottom line

There are lots of scams fraudsters use to take advantage of seniors and others receiving Social Security payments. But a few practical steps and some vigilance can help stop many of the scams before they get started, helping keep America’s seniors just a bit safer.