A new scam victimizing seniors has gained popularity in the last few months – this one focusing on social security benefits. This scam patterns itself after the IRS phone schemes that have been so prevalent in recent years.
As reported by the Social Security Administration, people claiming to be Social Security employees call from a phone number, usually with a 323 area code.
In most cases the person will then tell the victim that they are entitled to a 1.7 percent cost-of-living adjustment increase in their Social security benefits. In order to get the increased benefit, the beneficiary needs to verify all their personal information. That includes, name, date of birth and Social Security number.
With that information, the scammer can then contact Social Security and change the beneficiary’s direct deposit, address and phone information.
While it is possible that Social security may legitimately reach out to people for customer service purposes, they will never ask for personal information. If someone does that, hang up and call the Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-269-0271. You can also go online to http://oig.ssa.gov/report to report your concerns.
Any time you have a concern about someone asking for your personal information, it is always best to hang up and report it to an appropriate agency.