How to spot 4 Social Security scams and protect your identity
identitySummary: A recent uptick in scams targeting older adults has seniors wondering who’s really calling them
When the Social Security Administration calls, you pick up. But between October 2022 and June 2023, more than 55,000 people who answered calls from what they thought was the government agency said they were scammed.
Allegations of Social Security scams increased 61.7% in the quarters ending in June 2022 and June 2023, according to the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General.
The most common tactic is simple: Scammers say they’re with the SSA and ask for personal information or money.
Imposter scams gain victims’ trust by appropriating federal agencies’ authority, says Stacey Wood, the Molly Mason Jones Chair in Psychology at Scripps College in Claremont, California. Some impersonate officials with fake IDs or use caller IDs that resemble government phone numbers.
