Inspector General Warns Public About Phone Scheme Targeting Former Conn Clients
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: June 22, 2017
Gale Stallworth Stone, the Acting Inspector General of Social Security, is warning citizens about a phone scheme allegedly targeting former clients of Kentucky disability attorney Eric C. Conn. The Social Security Administration (SSA) and its Office of the Inspector General (OIG) have received reports that Kentucky citizens who used Conn’s law firm to assist with applying for Social Security disability benefits have recently received suspicious calls from people claiming to be from SSA.
According to reports, the callers claim to be from SSA and offer citizens $9,000 from a “Conn Client Compensation Fund” if the citizens send $200 to the “Federal Reserve Bank of New York.” The number associated with these calls is 202-681-5115. Those who have sent money have received additional calls; some callers report that citizens can receive greater compensation amounts if they send more money, while others threaten that citizens will be arrested if they do not send additional funds.
The Acting Inspector General is alerting citizens that SSA personnel are not making these calls, and the compensation fund described in the calls does not exist.
“This scheme appears to target economically vulnerable citizens and use scare tactics to defraud them of their resources,” Acting Inspector General Stone said. “Citizens should be very careful and avoid engaging with these suspicious callers. If an unknown person pressures you on the phone into providing payments for odd reasons, don’t think twice about hanging up.”
If a person receives a similar suspicious call from someone alleging to be from SSA or the OIG, citizens may report that information to the OIG at 1-800-269-0271 or online via https://oig.ssa.gov/report. If a person has questions about any communication—phone call, email, letter, or text—that claims to be from SSA or the OIG, please contact your local Social Security office, or call Social Security’s toll-free customer service number at 1-800-772-1213, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, to verify its legitimacy. (Deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals can call SSA’s TTY number at 1-800-325-0778.)
Conn pleaded guilty in federal court in March 2017 to participating in a scheme with a former SSA administrative law judge and multiple doctors that involved the submission of thousands of falsified medical documents to SSA to support disability applications. As a result of the scheme, Conn and his co-conspirators obligated SSA to pay $550 million in lifetime benefits for these fraudulent submissions. Conn is scheduled to be sentenced in July 2017; however, on June 2, 2017, he removed his electronic monitoring device and fled. On June 3, 2017, the FBI issued an arrest warrant for Conn for violating the conditions of his bond.
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Tags: fraud, Inspector General, Office of the Inspector General
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Andrew Cannarsa, OIG Communications Director
Andrew Cannarsa, OIG Communications Director
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Leo V.
I received a call on my cell phone which stated My social security number had been suspended due to FRAUD. I have been attempting to get thru to someone to discuss further as I am on Social Security.
Gene O.
I just received a phone call and it was a recording from a phone number in Iowa, 319 284 8265, (I live in Calif) stating that I needed to press #1 to clear a “suspicious” activity on my SS benefits? When I spoke with a person with a heavy accent, he asked me for my full name to “Start the paperwork to clear this situation”. When I told him NO, that this was a SCAM. He hung up! Had I given him my name, his next request would be for my SS # and bank account #, and etc. Can something be done about these people who call on us retired folks, attempting to, and sometimes successful at ripping us off? This is criminal! These people need to be caught and punished to the max! Thank you for reading this, it will probably continue to happen to unsuspecting retirees.
R.F.
Hello Gene. Social Security Administration (SSA) employees occasionally contact citizens by telephone for customer-service purposes. An SSA employee may call you in limited situations, such as if you recently filed a claim or have other Social Security business that are pending. In only a few limited special situations, usually already known to the citizen, an SSA employee may request the citizen to confirm personal information over the phone.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which receives and analyzes public complaints related to identity theft, recently reported to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) an increase in reports of suspicious phone calls from people claiming to be SSA employees.
If a person receive suspicious calls or has questions about any communication—email, letter, text or phone call—that claims to be from SSA or the OIG, please call our toll free number at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Citizens may -also- report that information to the OIG at 1-800-269-0271 or online via https://oig.ssa.gov/report. Thanks!
Cliff p.
Got this phone call yesterday… here the message left on my phone…
“Force meant agencies to soon as your Social Security number on the _______ as we have received this is precious trails of the information in your name the moment you receive this message I need you to get back to me on my _____________ ______________ 240-900-4887 I repeat 240-900-4887 terrified of the last four digits of your Social Security number when you call to better assist you with this issue now ___________ from you we will have to issue an arrest warrant under your name and get you arrested so get back to me as soon as possible thank you…”
Myra W.
These messages helped me greatly. I will pass it on to my friends.
J.L. H.
I received a Straw Pole brochure to help Pres.Trump pass the new SS Guarantee Act. from: Coalition to Guarantee Soc.Sec. c/o Christian Seniors Assoc. P.O. Box 7103 Merrifield, VA 22116-7103. They request money and answers to 6 questions.
Is it another way to get funds or is it a legitimate attempt to insure benefits? Or just what? I believe the group is listed as an unfavorable organization to all citizens.
Cindy A.
I received a call from this phone number this morning and it left a message that my SSI had been compromised…I am sure it is a scam so I thought you might want the info
http://callshelpers.com/caller/4435956149
Ramona
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Bettyg
And an administrator blog judge was involved on this game, that sucks!
We wait forever to see in a Social Security disability insurance work benefits and then there’s people like him around. I hope they were dearly sentenced.
Cara M.
Thank you for the information that has been delivered very useful for myself and hopefully bermanfaa also for oarng others who read it, always healthy regards and always glorious, awaited return visit.
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