HURRICANE, Utah, Dec. 27, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — Hurricane Police Department is warning residents of a nationwide scam involving people pretending to be from the Social Security Administration.
The Facebook post said the scam has already affected approximately 35,000 victims this year, including Hurricane residents.
“Earlier this month, we told you about a growing scam: people pretend to be from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and try to get your Social Security number or your money,” said a Federal Trade Commission news release, which the Hurricane Police Department shared on Thursday.
“That scam is now growing exponentially. To compare: in 2017, we heard from 3,200 people about SSA imposter scams, and those people reported losing nearly $210,000. So far THIS year: more than 35,000 people have reported the scam, and they tell us they’ve lost $10 million.”
Scammers tell intended victims that their Social Security number (SSN) has been suspended because of suspicious activity, or because it’s been involved in a crime, the news release said. Sometimes, the scammer ask victims to to confirm their SSN to reactivate it. Sometimes, scammers say the victim’s bank account is about to be seized — but they will tell you what to do to keep it “safe.” Often, that involves putting the money on gift cards and giving scammers the codes -– which, of course, means that your money is gone.
Your caller ID often shows the real Social Security Administration phone number (1-800-772-1213) when these scammers call — but they’re faking that number. It’s not the real SSA calling.
Here’s what to know:
- Your Social Security number is not about to be suspended. You don’t have to verify your number to anyone who calls out of the blue. And your bank accounts are not about to be seized.
- SSA will never call to threaten your benefits or tell you to wire money, send cash, or put money on gift cards. Anyone who tells you to do those things is a scammer. Every time.
- The real SSA number is 1-800-772-1213, but scammers are putting that number in the caller ID. If you’re worried about what the caller says, hang up and call 1-800-772-1213 to speak to the real SSA. Even if the wait time is long, confirm with the real SSA before responding to one of these calls.
- Never give any part of your Social Security number to anyone who contacts you. Or your bank account or credit card number.
If you get one of these calls, tell the FTC here.
