Social Security scams target your personal information and your money. They use personal information, including your Social Security number, to open fraudulent credit accounts in your name — a practice called identity theft.
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Those credit accounts fund purchases and create unpaid debts in your name. The activity can ruin your credit history, often before you know what’s happening.
When money is part of the scam, fraudsters will pressure you to pay up quickly to avoid legal issues or disruptions in your benefits.
Common Social Security scams
Scammers, unfortunately, can be clever and convincing. That’s why the best protective step you can take is learning some of their tricks and making yourself more likely to identify fraudulent activity before becoming a victim.
Here are six common Social Security scams:
1. Impersonation scam
Fraudsters may send you official-looking credentials or paperwork to gain your trust. Those credentials might be a badge or photo identification from a government or law enforcement agency. You might also see mail printed on agency letterhead.
Imposters will ask you for money or information — and threaten legal action if you don’t comply.
You should know that legitimate federal law enforcement officials and government employees won’t send their credentials via email, text, or mail. You can safely disregard (and report) the threats of anyone who does.
