Jim Kotan's Blog

My blog to talk about a variety of "stuff"

Monday, June 10, 2019

SECURITY SCAM -- "Department of Social Security Administration"

UPDATE:
Video from ABC-15 showing how Safeway employees are helping protect their older customers from scams:
https://www.abc15.com/news/national/a-safeway-employee-rescued-an-elderly-woman-from-a-gift-card-scam

(10 June, 2019, 0720 MST/Phoenix, or 0920 Central DAYLIGHT TIME)

Caller ID: 830-448-0348

I received a call on my cell phone from the above number a short time ago. Since I did not recognize the number, I sent it to voicemail.

That voicemail -- clearly a ROBOTIC voice -- stated,
"Sir Kelly Jones calling you from the Department of Social Security Administration. The reason you have received a phone call from our department is to inform you that there is a legal enforcement actions have been filed on your social security number for fraudulent activities. So when you get this message, speak to our office or kindly call us back on our hotline number 830-448-0348. I repeat, that is 830-448-0348. Don't disregard this notice and do return the call before we begin with the legal proceedings against you. Thank you."

OBVIOUSLY this is a scam, so DO NOT call them back.
The REAL phone number for the Social Security Administration can be found on their web page at https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/social-security-administration
(www . USA . GOV / Federal-Agencies/Social-Security-Administration)
A couple ways to recognize it's a scam:

  1. Robotic voice. The Federal Government does not use Autodialers like that.
  2. Grammar. Note where I Bolded and Italicized text. Those are the most egregious grammatical errors and are big red flags
  3. The US Government (Social Security Admin, OR IRS) does not EVER call you like that
  4. They do not use the "Sir / Mr. / Mrs. / Ms." salutation (very common practice in Nigeria and other countries, however)
Well, that's all for this post !!
REMEMBER: There are scammers out there wanting to take you for every dime you have. YOU must protect yourself!

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