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Stop Social Security-Related Scams 

Officials with the Social Security Administration (SSA) are offering tools to recognize social security-related scams and stop scammers from stealing money and personal information.

With National Slam the Scam Day, on Thursday, March 9, SSA officials are offering the following tips to stay safe from scammers all throughout the year.

Recognize the basic signs of a scam:

  • Scammers pretend to be from a familiar organization or agency, like the Social Security Administration. They may email attachments with official-looking logos, seals, signatures, or pictures of employee credentials.
  • Scammers mention a problem or a prize. They may say your Social Security number was involved in a crime or ask for personal information to process a benefit increase.
  • Scammers pressure you to act immediately. They may threaten you with arrest or legal action.
  • Scammers tell you to pay using a gift card, prepaid debit card, crypto currency, wire or money transfer, or by mailing cash. They may also tell you to transfer your money to a “safe” account.

In a seminar held in March of 2022 by former Assemblywoman Suzette Martinez-Valladares, another common scam other than Social Security scams were “Sweetheart Swindles.”

“Lonely and isolated since the pandemic, more than 3,000 Californians fell victim to international sweetheart swindles (in 2021), totaling $184 million in losses,” said Jackie Wiley, education and outreach coordinator for the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation in a previous KHTS article. “(Scammers) manipulate victims and take their money, sometimes in the form of cryptocurrency… and this is just one of the dozens of scams we’ve seen occurring most often.”

Precautionary measures are more important than ever in navigating romantic relationships online. Take steps by verifying people’s photos through reverse image searching, asking a lot of questions and remaining cautious if the person has consistent excuses as to why they cannot see you in person, according to Wiley.

“Never send money to anyone you’ve only conversed with online or over the phone,” Wiley said. “Their sole purpose could be gaining access to your personal information, which is identity theft, and ultimately your money.”

Anyone who falls victim to a SSA scam is encouraged to report the incident to the SSA Office of the Inspector General by clicking here.

If you fall victim to any other scam, call the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station at 661-260-4000.


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Stop Social Security-Related Scams 

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About Dani Gallegos

Dani Gallegos has grown up living in Santa Clarita her whole life. She went to LA Baptist high school and attended The Masters University for college majoring in communications and graduating in May of 2022. Dani loves to write about news and other things. In her spare time she enjoys reading and spending time with her dog and trying new places to eat.