Social Security and the Office of the Inspector General strive to stop government imposter scams and raising awareness is the goal of this Slam the Scam.

The week was started in 2020 by SSA OIG to combat Social Security-related imposter scams but is not expanded to include other government imposter scams as well.

This week is meant to raise awareness of how to spot a government imposter scam is a key objective of Slam the Scam. Myers explains there are common elements to many of these scams. Scammers often exploit fears and threaten you with arrest or legal action. They pose as Social Security or other government employees and claim there is a problem with your SSN or benefits or they may even claim your SSN is linked to a crime.

Myers implores you to hang up right away or ignore the message of a scammer and never give personal info or money. If you legitimately do owe Social Security money, they will mail you a letter with payment options and appeal rights.

Falling victim to a scam can be embarrassing, and Myers hopes you won’t be ashamed.

Again, to report a scam, visit https://oig.ssa.gov or www.ssa.gov/scam.