Coronavirus Era Brings Scams

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Scams Targeting Your SSN

The Social Security Administration is warning Social Security benefits recipients of scams during the COVID-19 crisis. Scammers may pose as the U.S. Treasury Department, the Internal Revenue Service, the Social Security Administration, and other government agencies through phone calls, emails, text messages, or other communications to collect your personal information and Social Security number. Disregard any requests for personal financial information, an advance fee, or charges of any kind, including the purchase of gift cards.

Beware of nine coronavirus scams targeting your identity, including your personal, financial, and medical information:

1. Threats to suspend benefits
2. Calls to verify Medicare numbers
3. Offers for COVID-19 related grants or economic impact payments
4. Fake investment and charitable organizations
5. Imposter family members
6. Phony home inspectors from the CDC
7. Sham sellers of coronavirus testing kits, protection, and vaccines
8. Bogus offers for hard to obtain household supplies
9. Offering to help run errands

Social Security Scams Lead to Identity Theft

When criminals get their hands on your Personally Identifiable Information (PII), they can use your sensitive data to commit credit card fraud and tax fraud. With tax deadlines extended until July 15, 2020, scammers now have more time to file tax forms using stolen information to collect tax returns. The identity theft may also escalate to medical identity theft, where a fraudster uses your sensitive information to receive free medical care, goods, or prescription drugs. 

In these days of COVID-19 concerns, scammers can be particularly compelling, and it’s more important than ever to check in with your elderly friends and neighbors by phone or video chat, to warn them of these coronavirus scams.

Tips to Protect Your Social Security Number

1. Never share personal information through unsolicited phone calls. Remind your loved ones that they should never give personal, financial, or medical information over the phone.
2. Don’t believe your caller ID. Scammers can spoof phone numbers to show up on your phone, disguising who they really are. Don’t make any decision to share information with a caller based on what the caller ID says.
3. Keep important documents stored safely. Store documents containing your Social Security number and other personal and medical information in a safe, locked place.
4. Report Social Security scams. If you think you are the victim of a scam, file a report with the SSA Inspector General online at oig.ssa.gov.
5. If you are worried about Tax Identity Theft, you can request an Identity Protection PIN from the IRS, as well as file an Identity Theft Affidavit if your return is rejected as a duplicate filing. .