The Lehi Police Department has recently been alerting individuals about an ongoing phone call scam. Many, including locals, have fallen victim to the fraud. Scammers are using the tactic of “spoofing” which is to use technology to change the appearance of the number on caller ID. In this case, scammers are mimicking the number for the Social Security’s national customer service line which is 800-772-1213. The scammer will verbally confirm that they are an SSA employee and will then attempt to extract personal information from person they are calling.
According to Lieutenant Kenny Rose from the Lehi Police Department, “This scheme makes me concerned for the elderly, scammers like to target the elderly because they are not technology savvy and tend to be more trusting. Spoofing is not a complicated process and unfortunately happens often. Avoid giving out any personal information. The best thing you can do if you feel suspicious is to hang up.”
The Fraud Watch Network states that in some cases the SSA will confirm personal information with you over the phone, however, they will not persuade you to share information with threats or benefits.
The Fraud Watch Network has spoke out against this scam and offers the following advice: “First, if you received a call like this, hang up. You can report Social Security fraud to the Social Security Administration at 1-800-269-0271. If you are concerned that Social Security is trying to contact you, call them directly at 800-772-1213. Alert your friends and family of this increasingly prevalent activity. Take care not to provide the caller with sensitive personal or financial information such as your social security number, or account information.”
