Each of the approximately 340 million U.S. citizens will have a Social Security number. Prior to 2019, approximately 65 million people were enrolled in some type of assistance program. More than 13 million people living in poverty in the United States receive no assistance from federal social programs, and more than 26 million Americans had no health insurance at some point during the year, according to the 2019 CPS-ASEC report.
After the economic devastation caused by the COWID-19 pandemic, this number continues to rise. It’s no wonder that more and more people are resorting to scams, including in the health insurance industry.
What is social security number fraud?
The scam includes fraudulent phone calls, texts, and emails posing as the Social Security Administration to steal Social Security numbers (SSNs), preferably along with other sensitive personal information.
What can someone do with your SSN? Identity theft is taking on frightening proportions today. Thieves fraudulently drain bank accounts, obtain loans, mortgages, and utilities, and use scams involving health or welfare programs to which they are not entitled.
Fortunately, it’s easy to spot and avoid these scams. Even if you get scammed, you can prevent a lot of damage if you act quickly enough.
Types of NHS fraud
Calls for social security fraud are big business. During these calls, a person or robocaller may pose as a representative of the Social Security Administration (SSA). Their goal is to either obtain your SSN and other personal information, or demand immediate payment in cash or with a gift card.
They use increasingly sophisticated spoofing techniques, replacing the real social security number with their own. They make the deception even worse by falsely using the names of real SSA officials.
Threatening calls
This is one of the most common and frightening scams. The scammer claims that the victim committed an illegal activity revolving around the victim’s SSN. They threatened the victim with immediate arrest, saying the police were on their way to arrest him.
The only way to avoid arrest is to immediately call the number provided, through which you can solve the problem by updating your personal information or even pay a tax or fine.
OPLICATION: SSA employees will never call someone and threaten to sue them for providing false information or force them to call an unknown number.
Sales of services SSA
Scammers sometimes try to sell services that the SSA provides for free. They can provide you with a new and improved Social Security card, a summary of your Social Security benefits, or a hassle-free enrollment of a new family member.
OPLICATION: Do not process social security cases over the phone.
Phishing by e-mail
It is not difficult for scammers to impersonate SSAs via phishing emails. Modern technology allows false SSA documents to be produced with pixel-to-pixel accuracy, right down to the printing and official fonts. There are often links to fake but convincing SSA websites. The emails usually contain an urgent request to update information on a fake website or email.
OPLICATION: According to the SSA, it will never ask for personal information via email. In addition, SSA’s official communications will never include harassment or threats.
Mail fraud
We pay very little attention to snails these days, except perhaps in letters from the bank. However, the elderly are very vulnerable to mail fraud.
Scammers may send the victim an official-looking letter offering an additional check if the victim fills out the attached form with their real personal information and pays the registration fee. They will ask for the SSN and bank information to process the application.
OPLICATION: The SSA does not need your full SSN because it already has one, and in cases where the SSA sends you a z-letter. B. on an increase in benefits, she will never ask for money or personal information.
Protection against social security fraud
The best way to protect yourself is constant vigilance. If you get calls asking for information, hang up. If you receive emails that seem threatening, send them to your junk mail folder. If you get a letter asking for money, throw it away.
Keep your personal information, bank accounts, social security receipts, medical records and other sensitive information in a safe place. Don’t throw away important documents either. Cut the paper before you throw it away.
If you have online access to your social security account, keep your password secret and change it regularly for added security. Constantly check your credit reports for signs that your financial records have been compromised. There are excellent credit monitoring services that can serve you well if you are not sure about the procedure.
Proactive prevention of social security fraud
You can block scammers’ numbers when they call you, but advanced identity theft technology allows scammers to constantly change their numbers. You’ll be getting calls from them again. This trend of continued harassment is often attributed to the increase in the number of opportunistic sites people search for online.
These are often disguised data brokers, who buy your personal information from dubious sources and sell it to anyone who asks for it. The extent of the problem becomes clear when you try to delete information from the Internet.
Use automatic data removal to delete information, check if it reappears and repeat the process. Onerep is an established and cost-effective option for long-term Internet profile management.
Reporting of social assistance fraud
If you think you’ve been the victim of a scam, or if you just want to report calls or correspondence that seem suspicious, you have several options.
You can call your local authorities or the ITC Fraud Hotline (1-800-269-0271)5 or file a fraud report on the ITC website. You can also report the scam on the FTC’s complaint website. Write down everything you can remember, including the phone number, the website, the caller’s name, the time and date of the phone call or email, the information requested, and any other information that will help identify the scammer.
frequently asked questions
How do you prevent scams on the social security phone?
You should just hang up on anyone who makes statements like that. If you are concerned that the call you are receiving is legitimate, you can call this office directly. The SSA number is 1-800-772-1213.
Can your identity be stolen using your social security number?
Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America. A dishonest person with your social security number can use it to obtain other personal information about you. Identity thieves can use your number and good credit rating to apply for other loans in your name.
Is there fraud with social security numbers?
Fraudsters use identity theft to intentionally fake the caller ID number that appears on your phone and hide your identity while trying to steal your Social Security number and other valuable personal information.
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