Senior Citizens Are The Targets Of Social Security Scams

They may sound scary and are dangerous

Most senior citizens in the USA are collecting Social Security.

The United States Social Security Administration sends out Social Security checks each month to millions of senior citizens. Most workers pay Social Security taxes on their earnings while they are working. The benefits are based on the wage earner’s contributions over the years.

Some retirees depend solely or mainly on their Social Security payment as their source of income during their later years. There are around 66 million individuals who collect Social Security benefits.

One of the most common scams which target older Americans is a Social Security scam. The Social Security Administration reported receiving more than half a million reports of Social Security scams in 2021. There may be many more which are not reported.

The scammers usually will call senior citizens claiming to be from the Social Security Administration. They may say that your Social Security number has been suspended or may be suspended. They might even say that there is a warrant out for your arrest. They will either ask for money or personal information. They may say that you need to pay them with a gift card.

Ways to keep yourself safe from such scammers:

Hang up and report the call to the Office of the Inspector General.

Do not return unknown calls, texts, or emails.

Talk to a family member or friend who can be trusted before making any financial decisions based on cold calls, emails, or texts.

Report a case of fraud if you have become the victim of a scam.

The criminals using these scams against senior citizens are guilty of elder abuse and fraud. They should be reported and hopefully caught.

Thank you for reading.

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