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Social Security Scams Abound. Watch Out for This One.
Motley Fool ^ | 03/30/2019 | Rita Williams

Posted on 03/31/2019 4:25:21 AM PDT by BenLurkin

But a new wrinkle in this venerable scam was recently reported. In this one, recipients of a call are told that their Social Security number has been suspended due not to their own actions but to more general "suspicious activity."

Instead of being given another number to call, the victims are told to simply press 1, and they'll be connected with a Social Security agent. Instead, they are connected to a fraudulent agent, who may ask them to verify their Social Security number. Once they verify it, the fraudster has it. Fines and bank account numbers are part of this one, too.

Unfortunately, Social Security fraud is all too frequently perpetrated against senior citizens. Most senior citizens rely on Social Security for at least part of their income, and many rely on it for a sizable percentage of it. They may be very frightened of a possible suspension of the number and hence the benefit.

Senior citizens also often don't realize how easy it is to imitate even an agency of the U.S. government. In the past, scam artists have set up phone numbers with 202 area codes (the one used in Washington, D.C.) and email accounts with ssa.gov as part of the address -- which is part of the actual online address of the SSA. They have set up fake SSA websites that look very convincing.

This time of year, there may be a third wrinkle. Tax returns, refunds, and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), another federal agency, are in the minds, computers, and mailboxes of many people. Senior citizens and the rest of the population might be more likely to believe that someone from the U.S. government is actually contacting them about suspicious activity during this period than any other.

(Excerpt) Read more at fool.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: fraud; socialsecurity
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To: MustKnowHistory

“Hello this is Lenny”

https://www.soundboard.com/sb/itslenny

I like to use this website to play back responses to the telemarketers. So far my record of keeping them talking to “Lenny” is up to 14 minutes before they give up. LOL!


21 posted on 03/31/2019 6:54:35 AM PDT by ThE_RiPpEr. (The Obamanation is over “Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty we are free at last”)
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To: BenLurkin

Government agency’s contact you by mail, never by phone; if an “agent” does try to scam by asking for information you tell them to tell >you< what your information they see on their computer screen. But in any case, just hang up.


22 posted on 03/31/2019 6:58:01 AM PDT by SkyDancer ( ~ Just Consider Me A Random Fact Generator ~ Eat Sleep Fly Repeat ~)
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To: BenLurkin
The largest scam is when CONgress took $13.4T form SS and gave worthless paper IOU
23 posted on 03/31/2019 7:04:25 AM PDT by mountainlion (Live well for those that did not make it back.)
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To: BenLurkin

Thanks for the reminder. I’m retiring soon so this is good to know. TBH, I would have laughed if anyone told me my SSN was being “suspended”. Don’t you need to be dead first?


24 posted on 03/31/2019 7:06:38 AM PDT by OrangeHoof (Trump is Making the Media Grate Again)
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To: Flick Lives

I believe in the death penalty for cases of murder, rape, incest and telemarketing.

Oh, and treason. This should be used on some of the Deep State conspirators.

Yes, I’m serious.


25 posted on 03/31/2019 7:09:55 AM PDT by OrangeHoof (Trump is Making the Media Grate Again)
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To: BenLurkin

I have a call blocker on it. The ring tone tells me its robo call. When the bad call comes, it is a tom-tom western movie theme ring. You know the one, the music they play in the John Wayne movies when the Apache’s are over looking the trooper column.


26 posted on 03/31/2019 7:24:20 AM PDT by Bringbackthedraft (What is earned is treasured, what is free is worth what you paid for it.)
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To: BenLurkin

I’ve had my cell number since they were available but I’m about to change numbers next week. I get an average 10-15 robo calls daily.


27 posted on 03/31/2019 7:43:48 AM PDT by devane617 (Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right.~ George Orwell, 1984)
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To: BenLurkin

I got that call on my cell phone last week, and on my landline phone a couple weeks ago. Both numbers that the calls came from are now blocked on both of my phones. Yea, I know, the scammers frequently change the caller ID of the number from which they are calling (spoofing the caller ID using VOIP).


28 posted on 03/31/2019 8:13:10 AM PDT by Wuli
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To: BenLurkin

How does anyone fall for these scams?

Maybe those with dementia or some state of Alzheimer’s but not using common sense for anyone else is plain stupidity.


29 posted on 03/31/2019 8:19:56 AM PDT by maddog55
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To: BenLurkin

I’d enjoy getting one of these calls ‘cause I love playing with fraudsters.

My legit contacts with Social Security have always been through the mail.


30 posted on 03/31/2019 8:23:22 AM PDT by upchuck (Home schooled kids are educated, not indoctrinated.)
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To: BenLurkin
Social Security Scams Abound. Watch Out for This One.

Partner, Social Security and Medicare are used by the "Illegal Aliens" as a way to stay here and collect!

I say a big "Bravo Sierra" to this illegal activity. We want our country back you crooked DemonRats in D.C.!!!

We are becoming a Third World Piece of Excrement just like Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and most South American countries.

Of course, we know the crooked DemonRat party is all in favor of these Illegal Aliens.

31 posted on 03/31/2019 8:36:38 AM PDT by TheConservativeTejano (God Bless Texas...)
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To: BenLurkin

I never pick up the phone. My daughters know to tell me to pick up. Everyone else leave a message maybe i will call.


32 posted on 03/31/2019 8:42:02 AM PDT by pas
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To: Flick Lives

“In a just world, robocall scammers should be put to death.”

Add crimes involving a broad range of electronic crime such as computer hacking, credit-bank card theft, ID theft and basic fraud etc. I’ll be pleased to donate for rounds or ropes.


33 posted on 03/31/2019 8:53:27 AM PDT by Huaynero
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To: BenLurkin

Got this call last week - the caller sounded like he was from India


34 posted on 03/31/2019 9:10:45 AM PDT by EC Washington
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To: BenLurkin

I never answer my phone if the caller’s name doesn’t come up or if I don’t recognize the number. Even if its a local number. If it’s someone I don’t know, I don’t want to talk to them anyway.


35 posted on 03/31/2019 2:11:10 PM PDT by Clarancebeaks
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To: BenLurkin

I tried to open an account with the SS web page, but the security questions included no answers that were correct.

The SS person I talked to on the phone said security questions are generated from credit reports. When I pointed out that someone else must be using my number, his only remedy was to freeze my account, which I did.

The SS couldn’t care less about misuse of our SS numbers.


36 posted on 03/31/2019 2:27:03 PM PDT by sparklite2 (Don't mind me. I'm just a contrarian.)
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To: sparklite2

Government drones...there are 60,000 of them in the Soc Sec Admin...I will say once you start receiving deposits they seem to show up on schedule pretty consistently...that part is all automated.


37 posted on 03/31/2019 2:36:03 PM PDT by nascarnation
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To: nascarnation

I’d like to meet the guy using my SS number
and thank him for making all those donations.


38 posted on 03/31/2019 2:40:12 PM PDT by sparklite2 (Don't mind me. I'm just a contrarian.)
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To: sparklite2

Do your yearly statements show more than what you are putting in?


39 posted on 03/31/2019 2:41:24 PM PDT by nascarnation
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To: nascarnation

I’m retired. So nothing should be going in, right?


40 posted on 03/31/2019 2:43:38 PM PDT by sparklite2 (Don't mind me. I'm just a contrarian.)
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