Urgent Alert: New SSA Phone Scam

From our allies at Justice in Aging comes news of a phone scam targeting Social Security beneficiaries:

There’s a new phone scam targeting Social Security beneficiaries that advocates for older adults should be aware of. The Federal Trade Commission is warning that scammers are engaging in a caller ID trick called “spoofing” to make it appear that they are calling from the Social Security Administration (SSA).

These phony callers claim to work for SSA and ask for personal information—such as the individual’s Social Security Number—supposedly in order to process a benefit increase. These scam artists have also tried to get this information by claiming that the person’s benefits will be cut off if the personal information isn’t provided. Read the FTC’s warning to learn more, including where to report such calls, and what people should do if they get one of these calls.

If you or your organization directly serve older adults, please make this information available widely in your community.