CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey urged consumers to be cautious and protect their personal information following a recent increase in Social Security scam activity.
This prevalent scam involves unsolicited calls from someone who claims to be with the Social Security Administration. The impostor tells the consumer their account has been frozen or compromised and will sometimes threaten arrest.
The Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division reports the Social Security scam is particularly active across West Virginia at present. Numerous West Virginia consumers report having recently given out their Social Security numbers. Multiple others have reported losses of $3,000 or more.
Some consumers have reported that the impostors already had some of their personal information, such as the last four digits of their Social Security number, so they believed it truly was a legitimate call.
“People who fall prey to this scam often do so because they are scared to lose their Social Security benefits, but that’s a threat scammers use to trick consumers into handing over personal, identifiable information,” Attorney General Morrisey said. “Don’t give into intimidation tactics and never give out your Social Security number.”
Impostors may also ask consumers to verify personal information, including their Social Security number, to replace a Social Security card, fix an issue with their online account, process a cost-of-living adjustment or rectify benefits that have been underpaid and need adjustment.
Consumers should always verify any information by calling the Social Security Administration’s legitimate telephone number and never make payments using wire transfer, gift cards or cash. Most government agencies and reputable companies will not seek personal information via an unsolicited phone call or email.
Anyone receiving such a call should report the information to the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General. Its fraud hotline can be reached by phone at 1-800-269-0271 or online at https://oig.ssa.gov/report.
Anyone with questions or who believes they may have been a victim of a scam should contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 1-800-368-8808, the Eastern Panhandle Consumer Protection Office in Martinsburg at 304-267-0239 or visit the office online at www.wvago.gov.