By Congressman Markwayne Mullin
My office has heard from a number of constituents recently who are receiving scam phone calls from individuals pretending to be with the Social Security Administration. Thousands of people are victims of telephone scams each year. Beware of the possibility that a scammer may call you and be prepared about how to handle and report the call.
One voicemail message from a Social Security Administration officer states that they are calling to “inform you that there is a legal enforcement action procedure filed on your Social Security number for criminal activities so when you get this message kindly call as soon as possible…before we proceed with the legal procedure.” In some instances, scammers ask for your Social Security number in order to “reactivate your account” or “open a zero-interest credit card in your name.” Others will ask you to mail them a check so they can set up the account.
If the person is pushy or rushes you to give them private information, hang up. Generally, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Hang up immediately and report the call to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Never give out your credit card, checking account, or Social Security numbers to anyone over the phone. Often, scammers will ask you to “confirm” this information by listing it all out to them. Keep these numbers private and if anyone asks you to give them the information, hang up.
One way to prevent these calls are to add your phone number to the National Do Not Call Registry. Adding your phone number will not stop all unsolicited calls, but it will reduce the number of calls you receive. Sign up to be added to the National Do Not Call Registry at www.donotcall.gov.
If you do receive unwanted calls from individuals who claim they are with the Social Security Administration, file a complaint with the FTC at FTC.gov/complaint. If you have any questions about if someone is attempting fraud over the phone or how to report a scam, my office stands willing to help in any way possible.
