Have you heard the expression, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”?  That is a good rule of thumb to spot a scam. Educating yourself is the best defense against fraud, identity theft, and scams. National Consumer Protection Week, sponsored by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), takes place March 5 to 11, 2017. It’s the perfect time to learn about and share ways to make informed choices and protect yourself. To learn more or to get involved, visit the FTC website.

Social Security strives to provide world-class service. One element of superior service is to share information about scams concerning Social Security that are currently circulating.

A current email scam invites people to take advantage of “a little known Social Security contract” which enables you to receive “little known benefits.” Think that sounds too good to be true? It should — there is no “little known Social Security contract.”

What are some clues that scams might not be legitimate? They insist that the situation is urgent and issue warnings. They try to convince you to act now to avoid a dire consequence. They promise a deal or secret that the public doesn’t know about. They come from organizations unknown to you. They offer things the government doesn’t want you to know, but they don’t come from a .gov website.

The FTC’s website maintains a list of scams in the news. You can sign up to be notified by email when new scams surface. You can also get free consumer education materials and read the latest from consumer protection experts. Stay well informed by visiting the FTC scam alert page.

Social Security takes scams and fraud seriously. It’s in your best interest to find out about scams and how they work so you won’t fall victim to one yourself. Protect yourself by learning how to avoid scams and fraud. You can search for “identity theft” or “phishing scam” on our website to learn more about how to protect yourself. Then you’ll be the one who knew it sounded too good to be true. We help secure your today and tomorrow by providing you valuable information to guard against fraud. You can learn more about the ways we fight fraud at ssa.gov/fraud.

Tags: fraud