Top Social Security Scams Targeting the Elderly

By phone, email, and other means, crooks try to obtain personal data

Reviewed by David KindnessReviewed by David Kindness

Americans who receive Social Security retirement benefits are frequently targeted by con artists. The goal of most Social Security scammers is to obtain personal information about the victim that can be used in identity theft.

Some scams are committed over the phone, typically by callers who impersonate Social Security Administration (SSA) employees and try to solicit personal information. Other scams originate via email or text message. Here’s how to recognize a scam and avoid becoming a victim.

Key Takeaways

• Social Security recipients collectively lose millions to scam artists each year.
• Scams may involve phone calls, emails, text messages, or letters purporting to be from the Social Security Administration (SSA).
• The goal of most Social Security scams is to obtain personal information about the victim that can be used in identity theft.

Common Social Security Scams

Sometimes the goal of a Social Security scam is to steal the victim’s identity so the impersonator can open a new credit card or bank account or even receive benefits in the victim’s name. In other instances, the caller will demand money from the victim directly. For example, they might threaten to cut off the victim’s Social Security benefits if the victim doesn’t pay a bogus penalty.

Social Security scam artists use every medium at their disposal to go after older adults—phone calls, emails, texts, and postal mail.

$10,562

The average amount lost to Social Security scammers by those ages 70 to 84 in Q1 2024.

Phone Scams

Telephone scams are one of the top frauds reported to the SSA. In a typical scam call, the caller (either a real person or an automated robocaller) claims to be from the Social Security Administration. The call may be intimidating—for example, threatening to cut off the recipient’s benefits unless they provide information or send money—or seemingly benign.

In one variation, scammers pose as federal agents and other law enforcement and claim your Social Security number is linked to a crime. Some may threaten to arrest you if you do not follow their instructions, such as reconfirming your name, Social Security number, and bank account information. For people who might wonder whether the SSA doesn’t already have all that information, the caller may say that it was lost due to a computer glitch and the victim’s benefits will be suspended until the new information is entered.

Email Scams

Email was the most common form of scam in 2023, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Emails that target Social Security recipients often use a technique known as phishing. In Social Security phishing, victims typically receive an email from someone impersonating an SSA employee. For example, the target is asked to fill out a form requiring personal information such as their name, Social Security number, driver’s license number, and other information that can be used to perpetrate fraud.

Email scams, like the phone scams, also involve fraudsters posing as federal agents.

Important

Social Security Administration employees will never ask for personal information over the phone or via email.

Text Message and Letter Scams

Though email scams and phone scams were the most popular types of fraud in 2023, according to the FTC, text messages, at number three, weren’t far behind. And phony letters claiming to be from the SSA continue to be a problem. One text scam warns about a Social Security number problem and asks the recipient to call a number to resolve it or the agency will take legal action.

How to Protect Yourself From Social Security Scams

Though Social Security recipients need to remain vigilant to avoid being scammed, there are several signs to watch out for.

“Social Security employees do occasionally contact people—generally those who have ongoing business with the agency—by telephone for business purposes,” the SSA notes. “However, Social Security employees will never threaten a person or promise a Social Security benefit approval (or increase) in exchange for information or money. In those cases, the call is fraudulent and people should just hang up.”

The SSA also says that its personnel will never call to:

• Demand an immediate payment
• Demand that someone pay a debt without being able to appeal
• Require a specific means of payment, such as a prepaid debit card
• Ask for personal information or credit or debit card numbers over the phone
• Promise a Social Security benefit in exchange for information or money

The SSA recommends hanging up immediately on what appear to be scam calls and reporting incidents to Social Security’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) using the online SSA Scam Reporting Form. The OIG has warned that some of these impersonation calls have “spoofed” the SSA’s national fraud hotline phone number, displaying +1-800-269-0271 as the incoming number on caller ID.

Targets of Social Security scams can also protect themselves by checking to see if any email correspondence has a .gov internet address. Scam emails claiming to be from the SSA may appear to be authentic, but the SSA says its representatives do not request personal information via email.

Do Scammers Use Official-Looking Logos?

Yes. In Q1 2024, one-third of the scams reported to the Social Security Administration featured official-looking images or documents, such as the Social Security logo.

How Can I Report a Social Security Scam?

To report a scam, call the SSA’s national fraud hotline phone number: 1-800-269-0271. You can also report fraud by filling out the online SSA Scam Reporting Form.

What Is Phishing?

Phishing is a type of identity theft in which the victim unknowingly gives personal data, such as a Social Security number or bank account information, to a fraudster. This method of cybercrime can be carried out through email, text or the creation of a fraudulent website appearing to represent a legitimate organization.

The Bottom Line

Social Security scams are widespread, and aren’t going away anytime soon. If you are contacted by anyone purporting to be a Social Security representative—whether by phone, email, text, or letter—and have any doubts about their authenticity, contact the SSA directly yourself to check them out.

Read the original article on Investopedia.