Social Security and AARP Work to Slam the Scam
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast 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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Andrew M.
It’s easy to minimize interaction with scammers. If you take the creation of websites and hosting for them as an example, then in order to protect yourself as much as possible, you need to select hosting on reliable sites, such as https://hostingfanatic.com/.
My B.
Every pro player has dozens of cheat codes enabled to play well. What if you can avail them for free on My boy Apk . Go have fun playing games on my boy emulator.
Heather C.
Why do they make it vertually impossible to get General Assistance? Isnt it descrimination of Disabled homeless abused people? I went to hospital Corvallis for minor heart attach and in my file it said that I was an intervinious drug user and I flipped out had them even take a hair follicle test never the less if I would have died my daughter and grandkids would have thought that was a junkie I DO NOT THINK THIS IS RIGHT
Heather C.
I need emergency housing my SSI and SSDI is at the hearings office I’ve been disabled all my life and have Hereditary Cancer and severe TBI Chronic PTSD Fybromialgia IBS Rhumitoid Arthritis and I can’t get into my online account for some reason I am in dire need please way before the pandemic ever started thankyou for your time and consideration
V.V.
Hi Heather. For your security, we do not have access to private information in this venue. We ask that members in our Blog community work with our offices with specific questions. You can call us at 1-800-772-1213 for assistance or you can contact your local Social Security office. Please look for the general inquiry telephone number at the Social Security Office Locator. The number may appear under Show Additional Office Information. Please be aware that our call wait times are longer than normal. We hope this information helps.
tony
AARP scam the seniors into unsolicited advertisements by signing up to become a member. Some senior are senile and think AARP is affiliated with the SSA.
tony
AARP scam a bunch of senior citizens with their high cost Medicare Advantage Plan that covers very little with high monthly premium costs. They also offer a bunch of deals which are scams costing seniors more money.
J.Brown
My Social Security locked me out for 24 hours after only two login failures but the message displayed I failed three times.
Suggestion: allow three failures, then lock out for 30-60 minutes. If the login process then fails again, then perform your magical 24 hour lock-out.
Most credit card or investment companies don’t create this much login hassle without providing a phone hotline that doesn’t require sitting on hold for 2 hours as SSA. 20200630jb
J.Brown
https://www.ssa.gov/hlp/video/iclaim_r01.htm video file application process does not mentioned my Social Security creation/login requirements 20200630jb
K.O.
Hello J.Brown. In addition to a valid email address, you will need a Social Security number, a U.S. mailing address, and be at least 18 years old, to create a my Social Security account. We hope this helps.
Habibmirza s.
Hello my name is Habibmirza shakiri l need for sosial my family 10 percent for me need sosial
Chinelo N.
Scammers are too much now,every day I receive their call tell me to about date of birth stuffs.