Last Thursday was 'Slam the Scam Day' - raising awareness around scam trends and avoiding the unfortunate occurrence of becoming a victim of a scam.
Jack Myers with Social Security indicates there are common tells to indicate whether you are facing a scam attempt. He describes these as the 'three P's'.
The unfortunate reality is that if you've made a payment to an imposter, it is very unlikely to get that money back. Myers says it is best to always verify hang up, disengaged, and reach out to a verified contact before making any payment of any kind.
Myers emphasizes that Social Security will never text or e-mail images of an employee’s official government identification, suspend your Social Security number, threaten you with arrest or other legal action unless you immediately pay a fine or fee, require payment to be a gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or cash, nor promise a benefit increase or assistance in exchange for payment.
In 2025, the Federal Trade Commission received over 330,000 complaints of government imposter scams - up 25% from 2024. Additionally, Social Security remains one of the most frequently impersonated agencies, with 34,621 reports and tolls/DMV impostors at #1 with 154,330 reports. Almost 14% of those reporting an SSA imposter scam said they lost money to a scammer, and almost $111 million was lost to scammers impersonating Social Security.
Scams should be reported as soon as possible. If it is Social Security-related, you can report it at https://oig.ssa.gov. Other types of imposter scams can be reported to www.reportfraud.ftc.gov.
