Collin County Future Mobility Oct 2023

Opinion: AMAC warns of more Social Security phone scams

by | May 23, 2019 | Opinion

Robocall Social Security Administration scams are on the rise. The Federal Trade Commission [FTC] says SSA telephone shakedowns specifically targeting senior citizens now surpass phony IRS calls, according to the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC].

For the past few years fake IRS calls topped the list of complaints received by the FTC. “But the new SSA scam is trending in the same direction – with a vengeance. People filed over 76,000 reports about Social Security imposters in the past 12 months, with reported losses of $19 million,” according to the FTC.

AMAC president Dan Weber notes that at its peak, between October 2015 and September 2016, losses from IRS scams reached $17 million. Meanwhile, in just two months, February and March of this year, the FTC received some 36,000 complaints from individuals who received Social Security calls. And, $6.7 million in reported losses were logged.

Weber says that “these con men are ‘phishing’ for Social Security numbers that can be used to commit all kinds of online crime. They can use stolen SS accounts to take out loans in your name, leaving you holding the bag. In addition, while they are at it, they often try to extort money from you. Meanwhile, the solution is quite simple– just hang up.”

In addition, AMAC advises that if you get such a phone call don’t fall for the scam even if your caller ID shows that the Social Security Administration is calling you. The SSA does not make threats. In fact, you should never give out your SS number, your bank account number or any such sensitive personal information to anyone who calls you out of the blue– especially if the voice on the other end of the line is a recording.

Dan Weber also recommends that you simply hang up on such callers and then call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 to report the incident. He says the Social Security Administration has issued a procedure notification for those who might receive scam calls, which can be accessed on the Internet at this address [https://www.identitytheft.gov/SSA].

“Robocall scams are fast becoming the methodology of choice for tech-savvy crooks. And, while we are each responsible for protecting ourselves from these criminals, the government has a responsibility, too. To that end, there is legislation in Congress that seeks to address robocall stings.”

By Dan Weber, president of the Association of Mature Citizens.

For more opinions like this, subscribe in print or online.

Collin College Farmersville Fall Registration 2023 250x300

0 Comments

Related News

Pay phones, rotary phones: pieces of the past

Pay phones, rotary phones: pieces of the past

The Jetsons got a lot right. Flying cars are now a reality. Zoom meetings. Robot vacuum cleaners. And video phones. One thing that was absent from that cartoon show was something that’s been around for well over 100 years. Something we still use today, and I think...

read more
Take the fall

Take the fall

One of my most vivid memories of fall happened during junior high. I was standing in the end zone prior to the start of a game. I could barely feel my fingers and toes. It was October, but it was unusually cold (Al Gore had yet to invent global warming). My shoulder...

read more
A product of our generation

A product of our generation

If we’re honest, some products aren’t that different from each other. But during the 50s, 60s, and 70s, our moms were extremely loyal to the ones they liked. And advertising had a lot to do with mom’s loyalty, and ours. Growing up in front of a large, RCA console TV...

read more
The simple life

The simple life

Our grandparents had it figured out. They lived life on their terms. Today, we live life on society’s terms. And the evidence that we regret it is all around. The first bit of proof that my grandfather and grandmother had control of how their day would go is the fact...

read more
Ya’ll come back now

Ya’ll come back now

He left me a message, so I called him back. It’s funny how, even if you haven’t talked to a childhood friend in a long time, the conversation picks up as if you had just spoken earlier in the day. “Remember that location you always said you’d like to buy one...

read more
Food for thought

Food for thought

They were called, “Victory Gardens.” And they were one of the weapons US citizens used to help win World War II. With the bad guys throwing everything at us that they could, in return, we were throwing everything at them that we could. By John Moore To Login to read...

read more
Baskin in the past

Baskin in the past

When our parents would take my sister and me from Ashdown, Arkansas to Texarkana, often they’d succumb to our begging and stop for ice cream. The only destination considered was Baskin-Robbins 31 Flavors. By John Moore To Login to read the full story or to subscribe,...

read more
Name that town

Name that town

If you grew up in a town with a unique name, there are likely many stories about how the name came to be. Also, you know the struggles of trying to explain them. If your town is small, few folks have heard of it and they have no idea where it is. “What’s the name of...

read more
Fear itself: spiders, snakes and more

Fear itself: spiders, snakes and more

A granddaddy long legs climbed onto my face while I was out brush hogging on the tractor. I’d like to apologize to the neighbor for his fence, chicken house, doghouse, clothesline, and for leaving the scene of an accident. By John Moore To Login to read the full story...

read more
When boy meets grill

When boy meets grill

Ever have one of those moments where something in your head says you need to do something, but you’re not sure why? Recently, a memory I have of my grandfather cooking on a charcoal grill sparked that little voice to give me a direct order. The instructions were to...

read more
Leaderboard American Heart Association