COVID-19, Frauds & Scams, General

Social Security and AARP Work to Slam the Scam

June 22, 2020 • By

Reading Time: 2 Minutes

Last Updated: February 21, 2023

AARP is helping SSA and its Office of the Inspector General warn you about scammers using Social Security in coronavirus (COVID-19) scams. AARP has a new webinar available for free (registration required), advising the public that scammers’ tactics continue to evolve, and they are now using coronavirus to try to scare us. Don’t be fooled!

Scammers may contact you by phone, letter, text, or email impersonating government officials to trick you into providing money or personal information. They may tell you Social Security is going to stop your benefits because its offices are closed, or ask you to pay a fee to receive extra benefits due to the pandemic. Scammers may even pose as COVID-19 contact tracers working to stop the spread of the virus and ask for payment or your Social Security Number. Don’t be fooled!

Social Security and other government agencies will never:

  • Call you to request information or payment due to coronavirus or office closures.
  • Threaten to arrest you because of an identity theft problem.
  • Require you to put money into a protected account.
  • Ask you for payment by gift card, wire transfer, internet currency, or by mailing cash.
  • Tell you to make up a story to tell your family or bank employees about why you need gift cards or cash.

Social Security continues to pay benefits during the pandemic. Social Security has closed offices to the public to follow social distancing guidelines, but its employees are still hard at work. If you have questions about how the coronavirus has affected Social Security services, visit its website.

If you receive a suspicious call or communication, do not call the number they give you.  Don’t respond in any way. Ignore the message, never click the link, and hang up the phone without providing any information or even giving your name.  To report a Social Security scam, contact the Office of the Inspector General. Share this information with your loved ones, and help us “slam the scam”!

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About the Author

Tracy Lynge, Communications Director for the Office of the Inspector General

About Tracy Lynge, Communications Director for the Office of the Inspector General

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Comments

  1. Swanniemouw

    I answer and say such and such police station , how may I help.? They don’t stay on long!!!!

  2. Carolyn J.

    Thank you for this wonderful information. I know it took some time and effort to get this information together and written. I am not joining the webinar, but thank you for being so thorough that you are offering it.

  3. Becky P.

    They have already called and I don’t need to apply that if I do they will put me in jail and i am almost 67 (july I will be 67) I had to quit work because a doctor damaged the nerves in my wrist with a heart cath to save my life no insurance no nothing

  4. David P.

    I’ve gotten several calls from scammers telling me that my ss# is being changed, I’ve also been getting calls from an on line pharmacy some of the voices sounds like the same person NOT just the same accent. It’s something to check out. I know the on line pharmacy has been using ghost phone numbers .

  5. T. W.

    Call this number as been receiving calls telling me to answer call back or call or will have a problem. Tel number constantly calling is tel.: 410.862.8112. Called several day’s many time’s from Elkridge, MD., tel. # 410.862.8112 again. Mentions ignoring message is non appearance. There were other calls different tel numbers but deleted. Hopefully you can stop this as we so need to stop scamming. Date calls: June 17, 2021 around 12:56PM. Total calls with other numbers were 15. Then realized shd notify social security which I did but never received any reply.

  6. Jeanine M.

    I had AARP for ten years , and never got anything out of it!

  7. Missy

    Can’t warn people of scams when welfare workers and DHS workers are the ones doing the scams and identity theft and it’s allowed. OIG allows the targeting of low income people and allows their social security to be stolen then they cover it by having the system changed on these victims accounts. It’s all posted to a blog. I met a few where it shows an award letter. DHS workers lied and said it was something else and it was an award from a person’s settlement and they stole that money.

  8. Raylopezsr

    Thank you for the information and updates

  9. Raylopezsr

    Thank you for the information and updates raylopezsr

  10. Laura

    BIGGEST SCAM ever—STIMULUS CHECKS sent to DEAD PEOPLE & NONE to living SS recipients who depend upon financial assistance from their son/daughter to somewhat afford bare necessities. Dead people don’t cash checks, make purchases, pay taxes nor vote. Most importantly the DEAD have no need for a stimulus check Those responsible for the passing of such a ridiculous bill must be remembered by all the living SS voters who were deemed ineligible on election day

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