Being Aware of Fraud Is Your First Step to Avoiding It
By Phil Walton, Social Security Manager in Toledo, OH
Guest Column
With all of the holiday shopping going on this time of year,
both in stores and online, there is no better time to remind
you to beware of fraud—you never know where it is lurking.
When it
comes to doing business with Social Security online, there
is little to worry about—all of our online services are
protected by strong Internet security protocols and you
should have confidence that they are safe and secure. But,
there are other ways identity thieves and criminals can
obtain your personal information and cause you significant
harm. Here are some tips to help keep that from happening.
If someone contacts you claiming to be from Social Security
and asks for your Social Security number, date of birth, or
other identifying information, beware. Don’t provide your
personal information without first contacting Social
Security to verify if Social Security is really trying to
contact you. It could be an identity thief phishing for your
personal information. Call Social Security’s toll-free
number at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).
If you receive a suspicious call, report it by going to
http://oig.ssa.gov/report.
Or call
1-800-269-0271 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
You should provide as much of the following information as
you know:
·
The alleged suspect(s) and victim(s) names, address(es),
phone number(s), date(s) of birth, and Social Security
number(s);
·
Description of the fraud and the location where the fraud
took place;
·
When and how the fraud was committed;
·
Why the person committed the fraud (if known); and
·
Who else has knowledge of the potential violation.
Identity theft is one of the fastest-growing crimes in
America. If you or anyone you know has been the victim of an
identity thief, contact the Federal Trade Commission at
www.idtheft.gov, or
1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338); TTY
1-866-653-4261. Another form of fraud that people fall
victim to: businesses using misleading advertisements that
make it look as though they are from Social Security. These
businesses often offer Social Security services for a fee,
even though the same services are available directly from
Social Security free of charge. By law, such an
advertisement must indicate that the company is not
affiliated with Social Security.
If you receive what you believe is misleading advertising
for Social Security services, send the complete mailing,
including the envelope, to: Office of the Inspector
General, Fraud Hotline, Social Security Administration, P.O.
Box 17768, Baltimore, MD 21235. Also, advise your state's
attorney general or consumer affairs office and the Better
Business Bureau. If you see or hear what you believe is
misleading advertising related to Social Security, you can
report it at the address above, by calling 1-800-269-0271
from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, or by visiting
http://oig.ssa.gov/report.
Protect your investment in Social Security and do your part
to report potential fraud. We
rely on you to let us know when you suspect someone
is committing fraud against Social Security. Reporting fraud
is a smart thing to do—and the right thing to do.
Visit Social Security’s Office of the Inspector General at
http://oig.ssa.gov.
Learn more about identity theft and misleading advertising
by reading our publications on the subjects at
www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs.
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