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SSA OIG: More Scammers, Getting More Creative
It seems like there’s no end in sight to the lengths the criminal element will go to fleece the unsuspecting–especially seniors–of their well-earned resources. Here at the AMAC Foundation’s Social Security Advisory Service, it’s rare that a day goes by that our staff has not received a call asking about the validity of the unsolicited call received from someone claiming to be a “government official.” In fact, the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) reported recently that the fraudsters have gotten more sophisticated, to the point that they are “creating fake versions of the identification badges most Federal employees use to gain access to Federal buildings. The scammers may text or email photos of the fake badges to convince potential victims of their legitimacy. These badges use government symbols, words, and even names and photos of real people, which are available on government websites or through internet searches.”
A scammer calling on you in person with such a credential would appear at first glance to be legitimate, so it’s critical to be wary. On a phone call, of course, you wouldn’t see the fake credential, but the scammer may cite specific details intended to fortify their legitimacy. The general advice on handling calls from unsolicited inquiries about your personal information is to just hang up. So, how do you determine a scammer is on the phone? This post by Brian Rudolph and Rhonda Whitenack on www.southernminn.com today provides guidance on this matter. Check it out here…