Latest News
Slam the Scam Day – Safeguard Your Community from Government Imposters
(Source: Social Security Adminostration)
Date: Thursday, February 26, 2026
Dear Colleague,
The Inspector General for the Social Security Administration (SSA) has designated March 5, 2026, National “Slam the Scam” Day, an outreach campaign to raise public awareness of Social Security scams and other government imposter scams. This effort is part of National Consumer Protection Week, which runs from March 1 to 7, 2026.
We ask that you share information about Slam the Scam Day with your clients, friends, and family to help spread awareness.
In 2025, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received over 330,000 complaints of government imposter scams, an increase of 25% from 2024. SSA remains one of the most frequently impersonated agencies, with scammers often targeting older adults, individuals with limited English proficiency, and veterans. To help prevent losses, we urge everyone to use caution when receiving calls, texts, emails, or messages from someone claiming to be from a government agency.
Recognizing the basic signs of a scam gives you the power to ignore criminals and report the scam. Remind your clients, friends, and family that scammers often:
- Pretend to be from an agency or organization you know to gain trust.
- Say there is a problem or that you’ve won a prize.
- Pressure you to act immediately.
- Tell you to pay in a specific way, such as with gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency.
Please also remind your clients, friends, and family to:
- Hang up on suspicious calls from “government officials” claiming there is a problem with your Social Security number or account.
- Never make payments with gift cards, wire transfers, or by mailing cash.
- Report Social Security-related scams to OIG.SSA.GOV.
- Report other scams to reportfraud.ftc.gov.
We encourage you to read and share our Slam the Scam Resources to help amplify scam-prevention messages. Additional resources and activities are available through the FTC’s National Consumer Protection Week campaign.
Together, we can remain vigilant against government imposter scams and help educate the public of the latest scams.
Sincerely,
Nick Perrine
Chief Communications Officer
External.Relations@ssa.gov