Don’t Be a Scam Victim—You’re in Control
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: June 30, 2021
With the tax season wrapping up, scammers are out in full force. Perhaps you received a phone call demanding payment from the IRS. They may threaten you with legal action if you do not pay immediately, or say things like, “we are sending the police to arrest you.” While these calls may seem scary, it is important to understand that they are not legitimate. This scam, which started in October 2013, has claimed over $29 million from its victims. Unfortunately, this is just one of many scams designed to make you believe you are speaking with a legitimate government official.
Scammers use many tactics in an attempt to force victims to give out information, and sometimes money, via telephone or email. In Social Security related scams, they often call under a guise of helping you complete a disability application, asking you for your Social Security number or banking information.
Whether they are with Social Security or the IRS, a government employee will never do some things as part of official agency business, including:
- Call you to demand an immediate payment.
- Demand that you pay a debt without the ability to appeal the amount you owe.
- Require a specific means of payment, such as requiring you to pay with a prepaid debit card.
- Ask you for your personal information or credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
- Threaten you with arrest or deportation.
Any legitimate request from a government agency will come to you in writing. Additionally, if you do receive a call from a government official, they will be able to provide you with a telephone number and extension. If you receive one of these scam calls or emails, do not provide them with any information. You should:
- Hang up immediately.
- For Social Security impersonations, contact Social Security’s Office of Inspector General at https://oig.ssa.gov/report.
- For IRS impersonations, contact the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at www.treasury.gov/tigta, using the “IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting” page.
- Contact the Federal Trade Commission on FTC.gov.
If you are attempting to conduct business with any government agency, or you have received a notice from such an agency, please utilize the telephone numbers provided in the notification. Additionally, you can find contact information on any .gov website such as ssa.gov or irs.gov.
Did you find this Information helpful?
Tags: fraud, Office of the Inspector General, social security, Social Security benefits, Social Security taxes, SSA, SSN
See CommentsAbout the Author
Doug Walker, Deputy Commissioner, Communications
Deputy Commissioner, Office of Communications
Comments
Comments are closed.
Ajay R.
Nice Post , Thanks for checking in with us
https://www.wikibiography.co/
new1
Threaten you with arrest or deportation.
https://new1music.ir/
Lophes A.
Thank you for sharing such an amazing information you can check out some united states country code
Ram I.
All Govt Jobs
tamilnadu government jobs
TN Govt Jobs
sunnylashari
Its very great website, This Source of Latest Education Counsel Web Portal and check online results here.
9th Class Result 2019
9th Class Result 2019 lahore board
9th Class Result 2019 gujranwala board
Mark M.
Hello, I’ve received 3 calls in the last 4 days with a message saying that “we have been forced to suspend your Social Security number with immediate effect” and that “all your social benefits will be canceled until further clearance”.
Then the automated voice directs me to press ‘1’ to speak with a ‘social security administration officer’.
Please let me know what my current status is with the SSA.
Thank you,
Mark M. Twohy
last four – 8442
L.A.
Hi Mark. Thanks for checking in with us. We do not usually make random calls. If anyone receives calls saying that they are from Social Security, do not give out any personal information. Suspicious calls should be reported to the Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-269-0271 or online. You can also report these scams to the Federal Trade Commission through a new site specific to Social Security scams, here. If you suspect someone is using your Social Security number, you should go to http://www.idtheft.gov and report the theft to the Federal Trade Commission or call 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338). In addition, you can order free credit reports annually from the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and Trans Union). To order your credit report go to http://www.annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228. For more information, check out our publication, Identity Theft And Your Social Security Number. We hope this helps.
iqbal j.
Lucky Patcher
Coolstuff
Excellent information given!
Explore: Nerdy wifi names & check for more wifi names
Tyrone L.
what to do if a scam already has your social security number
A.C.
Thanks for checking in with us, Tyrone. We do not usually make random calls. If anyone receives calls saying that they are from Social Security, do not give out any personal information. Suspicious calls should be reported to the Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-269-0271 or online. You can also report these scams to the Federal Trade Commission through a new site specific to Social Security scams, here. If you suspect someone is using your Social Security number, you should go to http://www.idtheft.gov and report the theft to the Federal Trade Commission or call 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338). In addition, you can order free credit reports annually from the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and Trans Union). To order your credit report go to http://www.annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228. For more information, check out our publication, Identity Theft And Your Social Security Number. We hope this helps.
Raj
Awesome article. Thanks for valuable information.
PNB Recruitment 2019
Nainital Bank Recruitment 2019
sarkari naukri 2019
Government Govt. Jobs in India
Jordhan
That’s Really Informative – By SNP Jobs