[NFBWV-Talk] Fwd: SOCIAL SECURITY PHONE SCAMS - PLEASE SHARE

[Sheri Koch]

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Stephens, Kimberly <Kimberly.Stephens at ssa.gov>
Date: Fri, Jul 19, 2019 at 2:50 PM
Subject: SOCIAL SECURITY PHONE SCAMS - PLEASE SHARE
To:


Due to the recent uptick in phone scams, Social Security is asking you to
please share this critical information with those in your community.
Enclosed is the most recent Social Security press release and below is an
article detailing the types of scams and how the public can protect
themselves.

Thank you for providing this information.

Sincerely,

Kimberly Stephens
Public Affairs Specialist

301 9th Street

Third Floor

Huntington, WV 25701

Phone: (866)894-8525 ext 19820

Fax: (304)529-5596

*Kimberly.Stephens at ssa.gov <Kimberly.Stephens at ssa.gov>*



[image: cid:image001.png at 01D18E96.7E5FA110]



*With you through life’s journey…create your online account at *
*www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount*
<http://www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount>




Social Security Column
Beware of people pretending to be from social security

By Kimberly Stephens

Social Security Public Affairs Specialist in Huntington, WV

[image: Man talking on cellular phone while looking at this credit card.]



Social Security is committed to protecting your personal information. We
urge you to always be cautious and to avoid providing sensitive information
such as your Social Security number (SSN) or bank account information to
unknown people over the phone or internet. If you receive a call and aren’t
expecting one, you must be extra careful. You can always get the caller’s
information, hang up, and — if you do need more clarification — contact the
official phone number of the business or agency that the caller claims to
represent. Never reveal personal data to a stranger who called you.

There’s a scam going around right now. You might receive a call from
someone claiming to be from Social Security or another agency. Calls can
even display 1-800-772-1213, Social Security’s national customer service
number, as the incoming number on your caller ID. In some cases, the caller
states that Social Security does not have all of your personal information,
such as your SSN, on file. Other callers claim Social Security needs
additional information so the agency can increase your benefit payment, or
that Social Security will terminate your benefits if they do not confirm
your information. This appears to be a widespread issue, as reports have
come from people across the country. These calls are not from Social
Security.

Callers sometimes state that your SSN is at risk of being deactivated or
deleted. The caller then asks you to call a phone number to resolve the
issue. People should be aware that the scheme’s details may vary;
however, you should avoid engaging with the caller or calling the number
provided, as the caller might attempt to acquire personal information.

Social Security employees occasionally contact people by telephone for
customer-service purposes. In only a very few special situations, such as
when you have business pending with us, will a Social Security employee
request that the person confirm personal information over the phone.

Social Security employees will never threaten you or promise a Social
Security benefit approval or increase in exchange for information. In those
cases, the call is fraudulent, and you should just hang up. If you receive
these calls, please report the information to the Office of the Inspector
General at 1-800-269-0271 or online at oig.ssa.gov/report
<https://oig.ssa.gov/report/?utm_source=mip0619&utm_medium=online-media&utm_campaign=ocomm-mip-fy19&utm_content=Beware-Of-People-Pretending-To-Be-From-Social-Security-001>
.

You can also share our new “SSA Phone Scam Alert” video at
http://bit.ly/2VKJ8SG

Protecting your information is an important part of Social Security’s
mission. You work hard and make a conscious effort to save and plan for
retirement. Scammers try to stay a step ahead of us, but with an informed
public and your help, we can stop these criminals before they cause serious
financial damage.

# # #


-- 
Sheri Koch, President
National Federation of the Blind of West Virginia
304-993-5103
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image002.png
Type: image/png
Size: 24375 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbwv-talk_nfbnet.org/attachments/20190719/a9d58299/attachment.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 15406 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbwv-talk_nfbnet.org/attachments/20190719/a9d58299/attachment.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: PressRls.Scam Calls PSA 2019.docx
Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
Size: 1056645 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbwv-talk_nfbnet.org/attachments/20190719/a9d58299/attachment.docx>