(1) Social Security and OIG Hold Annual
Slam the Scam Day
The Social Security Administration and its Office of the Inspector General (OIG) continue to raise public awareness about Social Security imposter scams during the fourth annual “Slam the Scam” Day on March 9. Social Security scams — where fraudsters pressure victims into making cash or gift card payments to fix alleged Social Security number problems or to avoid arrest – are an ongoing government imposter fraud scheme. For several years, Social Security impersonation scams have been one of the most common government imposter scams reported to the Federal Trade Commission. Social Security has made concerted efforts to address this issue, through extensive outreach and investigative initiatives. These efforts have made a significant impact, reducing money reported lost to Social Security scams by 30 percent from 2021 to 2022.
“I am proud of the work we have done to combat Social Security imposter scams and raise public awareness,” said Kilolo Kijakazi, Acting Commissioner of Social Security. “We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect the public and their critical benefits. We urge Americans to remain vigilant, do not give out personal information or money, and report any scam attempts.”
Scammers use sophisticated tactics to trick potential victims into disclosing personal and financial information. Typically, they use these P’s – Pretend, Prize or Problem, Pressure, and Payment. For example, scammers pretend they are from Social Security in phone calls or emails and claim there is a problem with the person’s Social Security number. The scammer’s caller ID may be spoofed to look like a legitimate government number. Scammers may also send fake documents to pressure people into complying with demands for information or money. Other common tactics include citing “badge numbers” and using fraudulent Social Security letterhead to target individuals for payment or personal information.
Social Security will never tell you that your Social Security number is suspended; contact you to demand an immediate payment; threaten you with arrest; ask for your credit or debit card numbers over the phone; request gift cards or cash; or promise a Social Security benefit approval or increase in exchange for information or money.
Social Security employees do contact the public by telephone for business purposes. Ordinarily, the agency calls people who have recently applied for a Social Security benefit, are already receiving payments and require an update to their record, or have requested a phone call from the agency. If there is a problem with a person’s Social Security number or record, Social Security will typically mail a letter.
“Working with our law enforcement and private sector partners to inform consumers about scammers and their deceptive practices remains a priority for my office. We will continue promoting National Slam the Scam Day to help protect consumers from these predators. Slamming the scam begins with consumers quickly taking a step to hang up the phone, or delete suspicious texts and emails, without responding to the scammers,” said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. “That remains the easiest and most effective method to avoid falling prey to these vicious scams.”
Tomorrow’s events include:
- 1 p.m. ET: Join the FTC’s National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) Twitter chat (in Spanish) for advice on avoiding common scams with @laFTC. Follow the conversation by using the hashtag #NCPW2023.
- 3 p.m. ET: Join the FTC’s NCPW Twitter chat (in English) for advice on avoiding common scams with @FTC. Follow the conversation by using the hashtag #NCPW2023.
To report a scam attempt, go to oig.ssa.gov. For more information, please visit www.ssa.gov/scam and www.ssa.gov/fraud.
To get more Social Security news, follow the Press Office on Twitter @SSAPress.
(2) GETTING TWO SSI PAYMENTS IN ONE MONTH
By Rhonda Romero, Social Security Public Affairs Specialist
For most months in the year, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients get their SSI payment on the first day of the month. But when the first day of the month falls on the weekend or a federal holiday, you receive your SSI payment on the last business day before the first day of the month. That means you may get two SSI payments in the same month.
We do this to avoid putting you at a financial disadvantage and make sure that you don’t have to wait beyond the first of the month to get your payment. It does not mean that you are receiving a duplicate payment in the previous month, so you do not need to contact us to report the second payment.
Here’s how this will work in April 2023. April 1, 2023, falls on a Saturday, so we will issue your SSI payment for the month of April on March 31, 2023. In this example, you get two SSI payments in March.
The first March payment, on March 1, is your regularly scheduled payment for March. The second March payment, on March 31, 2023, is your SSI payment for the month of April.
On our website, we provide a Schedule of Social Security Benefit Payments for the current and upcoming calendar year at www.ssa.gov/pubs/calendar.htm.
Securing today and tomorrow starts with being informed. Please share this information with your friends and family.
(3) SLAM THE SCAM: HOW TO SPOT GOVERNMENT IMPOSTERS
By Rhonda Romero, Social Security Public Affairs Specialist
Do you know how to spot a government imposter scam? Knowing how to identify potential scammers will help safeguard your personal information.
There are common elements to many of these scams. Scammers often exploit fears and threaten you with arrest or legal action. Scammers also pose as Social Security or other government employees and claim there’s a problem with your Social Security number (SSN) or your benefits. They may even claim your SSN is linked to a crime.
When you identify a potential scammer:
- Hang up right away or ignore the message.
- Never give personal information or money.
- Report the scam immediately to our Office of the Inspector General at ssa.gov/scam-awareness/report-the-scam.
If you owe money to Social Security, we’ll mail you a letter with payment options and appeal rights. We only accept payments electronically through Pay.gov, Online Bill Pay, or physically by check or money order through our offices.
We will never do the following:
- Threaten you with arrest or legal action because you don’t agree to pay us money immediately.
- Promise a benefit increase in exchange for money.
- Ask you to send us gift cards, prepaid debit cards, wire transfers, internet currency, cryptocurrency, or cash through the U.S. mail.
Scammers continue to evolve and find new ways to steal your money and personal information. Please stay vigilant and help raise awareness about Social Security-related scams and other government imposter scams. For more information on scams, please visit www.ssa.gov/scam.
Tell your friends and family about government imposter scams. Let them know they don’t have to be embarrassed to report if they shared personal financial information or suffered a financial loss. The important thing is to report the scam right away.
Together, we can “Slam the Scam!”
