Office of the Inspector General

Inspector General’s Office Warns: Hybrid Scams on the Rise

August 9, 2024 • By

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Scammers are compounding tactics by using fake Amazon or PayPal tech support emails and text messages to get you to connect with an imposter Social Security Administration (SSA) employee who will try to convince you that your Social Security number (SSN) or record is compromised. The email or text message claims that something is wrong […]

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Social Security and OIG Hold 5th Annual National Slam the Scam Day

March 7, 2024 • By

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The Social Security Administration and its Office of the Inspector General (OIG) are partnering once again to raise public awareness about Social Security imposter scams during their fifth annual “Slam the Scam” Day on March 7. “As public servants, we must use every tool at our disposal to raise awareness and protect the American people […]

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Social Security and OIG Hold Annual Slam the Scam Day

March 8, 2023 • By

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Social Security scams are an ongoing government imposter fraud scheme. We continue to raise public awareness about Social Security imposter scams during the fourth annual “Slam the Scam” Day on March 9. For several years, Social Security impersonation scams have been one of the most common government imposter scams reported to the Federal Trade Commission. […]

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How We Protect You from Misleading Advertising and Communications

February 23, 2023 • By

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At the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), we work together with Social Security to protect you from scams that use Social Security as bait. Section 1140 of the Social Security Act allows OIG to impose penalties against anyone who engages in misleading Social Security-related advertising or imposter communications. For example, we may impose a […]

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Federal Law Enforcement Agencies Warn of Impersonation Scam Involving Credentials and Badges

June 7, 2022 • By

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New reports show that scammers are reviving an old tactic to gain your trust. Scammers are emailing and texting pictures of real and doctored law enforcement credentials and badges in an attempt to ‘prove’ they are legitimate to scam people out of money. Scammers may change the picture or use a different name, agency, or […]

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