Slam the Spam

Spammers are everywhere as anyone on social media can attest. But, it's not just social media that attracts these unscrupulous predators. Spammers use phone calls, email and text messages to entice folks to part with their money and/or personal information.

So, after receiving received email information about Slam the Spam, decided to share in a post. Thankfully, we haven't fallen victim to any of these schemes; however, countless others have and unfortunately, in recent years that included a family member.

One thing is certain, you can never be too careful. Although agencies referred to in this post are specific to the U.S., there may be similar agencies in other countries as well.

National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) is an annual campaign dedicated to equipping
the public with the knowledge and tools needed to stay safe, informed, and connected. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has an online toolkit with information on how to stop unwanted calls (robocalls) texts and emails.

On Thursday, March 5, the Social Security Administration (SSA) and Office of the Inspector General (OIG) are supporting National Slam the Scam Day by providing more information on recognizing imposters.

Recognizing the basic signs of a scam gives everyone power to ignore spammers and report the activity based on some of the following red flags from scammers who: 

• Pretend to be from an agency or organization you know to gain trust.
• Tell you there is a problem or that you’ve won a prize.
• Pressure you for immediate action.
• Tell you to pay in a specific way (gift cards, wire transfers or cryptocurrency) — often with the promise of keeping your money safe.

All of these are glaring red flags since authentic government agencies will never:

• Threaten with arrest or legal action if you don't agree to pay money right away.
• Suspend a Social Security number.
• Claim to need personal info or payment to activate a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) or other benefit increase. These are automatic.
• Pressure you to take immediate action and to share personal information.
• Threaten to seize your bank account.
• Offer to move your money to a “protected” bank account.
• Demand secrecy.
• Direct message you on social media.
• Ask for payment using certainspecific methods

Unfortunately, scammers are using Artificial Intelligence (AI) as an additional tactic to trick people. Actions that everyone can take:

• Hang up on suspicious calls from “government officials” claiming there is a problem with a Social Security number or account.
• Never engage if a call feels "off."
• Don't make any requested as many of the requested methods are untraceable.

What You Can Do

Report Social Security-related scams at oig.ssa.gov and report other government imposter scams to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

Spread the word by using #SlamTheScam on social media to raise awareness and repost #SlamtheScam content on social media to help protect family and friends.

In the past year, a fellow blogger posted about falling victim to a scam; other bloggers may recall the post. Not only was the incident unfortunate to read about, but showed that scammers are always willing to take advantage of others. 

While it's not possible to eliminate spams and scams entirely, there are ways to stop them from happening to yourself and others.