Jo Anne Barnhart, Commissioner of
Social Security and Patrick O'Carroll, Jr., Acting Inspector General of
Social Security warn that a number of scams have surfaced
The Agency has received numerous
reports about telephone calls or visits from people alleging to be
Social Security employees. In each case, the person attempted to
obtain personal information, such as a Social Security or bank account
number, from the Social Security recipient.
"I find it very troubling that
our most vulnerable citizens are being targeted by these unscrupulous
people," Commissioner Barnhart stated. "I caution
everyone to be extremely careful about releasing personal
information."
The perpetrators, who identify
themselves as Social Security employees, have used a variety of tactics
to obtain personal information. In one instance, the caller said
the Agency was experiencing a power outage and needed to verify the
person's information. In another, the caller posed as an employee
who needed to verify the recipient's direct deposit information.
In a third, the recipient is told
their Social Security benefits are being cut because they have inherited
a house from a relative; an event that would not result in a reduction
of their Social Security benefit according to Commissioner Barnhart.
To help perpetrate the fraud, the caller then places the recipient on
hold and plays the same on-hold recordings used by Social Security.
When the caller gets back on the line, the recipient is then told
proceeds from the sale of the house will be sent to them if they pay the
back taxes.
Acting Inspector General O'Carroll
recommends people always take precautions when giving out personal
information. "You should never provide your Social Security
number or other personal information over the telephone unless you
initiated the contact, or are confident of the person to whom you are
speaking," O'Carroll said. "If in doubt, do not release
information without first verifying the validity of the call."
Barnhart and O'Carroll recommend contacting the local Social Security
office or Social Security's toll-free number at 1-800-772-1213 to verify
the legitimacy of the call.
Acting Inspector General O'Carroll
notes that the Office of Inspector General (OIG) is working closely with
the Agency to investigate all reports of suspicious activity. To
report suspicious activity, please call the OIG Hotline at
1-800-269-0271. A Public Fraud Reporting form is also available
online at OIG's website: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/oig/.
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