Lately, fraudsters have been targeting citizens by posing as Social Security Administration employees.

Lately, fraudsters have been targeting citizens by posing as Social Security Administration employees. Learn how to recognize phone scams and keep yourself safe from them.

The Scam

Callers pretending to be from the United States Social Security Administration, as well as from the office of former Kentucky disability attorney Eric Conn, are asking people for personal information to verify a (too good to be true) 1.7 percent cost-of-living increase of their Social Security benefits. The caller then uses the information they collect to call the Social Security Administration to change direct deposit information. While the Social Security Administration occasionally follows up with people by phone, you will typically be alerted prior to the phone call with a letter.

What you Should Do

These tips can help you stay safe from phone scammers:

1. Tell them now is not a good time and you’ll call back later. If someone—from the Social Security Administration or elsewhere—calls you asking for personal information, such as your name, date of birth or Social Security number, ask them for their name and a case number and let them know you’ll call back at another time. Be sure to use the correct number—the Social Security customer service number is 1.800.772.1213—to verify if the call was real.
2. Don’t rush. Fraudsters try to create a false sense of urgency (i.e. if you don’t act now, your increase in cost-of-living benefits will expire). It’s best to take your time to make sure the offer is real by checking your mail for documents verifying the change from the Social Security Administration.
3. Report suspicious calls. If you receive a phone call from someone posing as a Social Security Administration employee, call the Office of the Inspector General at 1.800.269.0271 or submit a report online at ssa.gov/report.

How Verve Can Help

If you think you may have given your information to a fraudster, check your account for purchases you did not make and call Verve immediately at 800.448.9228 if you see fraudulent charges. If our fraud block system, OmniShield, detects potentially fraudulent use of your card, a temporary hold will be placed on it, and you’ll receive a text message with details about the suspicious transaction.

It’s Verve’s goal—in line with our guiding 7 Cooperative Principles—to provide education, training and information to help our members stay financially fit. Verve is committed to educating our members when it comes to their finances by providing details on recent scams and ways to stay safe. Help keep your family and friends safe by sharing this information on the recent Social Security Administration phone scam.