POLICE: Social Security Telephone Scam Reported

The Ellwood City Police Department is warning residents against a scam in which a caller is looking to gain Social Security numbers and money.
Residents said a person pretending to be an employee of the Social Security Administration — and whose phone number sometimes appears on caller ID as a legitimate number for the agency — has been contacting residents.

Several versions of the scam, the phony caller tells the resident that their Social Security number has been linked to a crime (often, they says it happened in Texas) involving drugs or sending money out of the country illegally. The caller/scammer says your Social Security number is blocked — but he might ask you for a fee to reactivate it, or to get a new number. And he will ask you to confirm your Social Security number.

In other variations, the caller/scammer says that somebody used your Social Security number to apply for credit cards, and you could lose your benefits. Or they might warn you that your bank account is about to be seized, that you need to withdraw your money, and that he will tell you how to keep it safe.

The common theme in all of the scams is that the scammer/perpetrator tries to “create a sense of urgency” and that they are trying “to help prevent a bad thing from happening” to the victim.

While this type of Social Security scam is nothing new nationally — the Federal Trade Commission said there were 35,000 reports of it in 2018, costing victims $10 million — ECPD said people have recently been victimized in Ellwood City.

As ECPD attempts to make residents aware and create awareness is the greatest tool against scams. Calls can be originating from overseas or the contact information is hidden on caller ID due to spoofing.

If you receive one of these calls, it’s important to remember the following:

● The Social Security Administration will never call and ask for your Social Security number. It won’t ask you to pay for anything. And it won’t call to threaten your Social Security benefits.
● Don’t believe your caller ID. It might display the Social Security Administration real phone number (1-800-772-1213), but that’s not the federal agency calling.
● Never give your Social Security number to anyone who contacts you. Don’t confirm the last 4 digits. And don’t give a bank account or credit card number to anybody who contacts you asking for it.
● Anyone who instructs you to wire money, pay with a gift card, or send cash is a scammer. Always. No matter who they say they are.
● If you’re wary about someone who claims to be from the Social Security Administration, get off the phone. You can call the real Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).