By Dallas Gagnon
masslive.com
(TNS)
Federal law enforcement officials are urging the public to be on high alert for a rising imposter scam.
In a notice issued by the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, officials warn of a rising scam in which criminals use the names of real government employees and doctored badge images to build trust and steal money.
The scammers are impersonating authorized Social Security Administration and Office of the Inspector General staff by harvesting details from social media profiles and fabricating federal credentials.
These tactics mirror a broader trend in which criminals attempt to legitimize their schemes by “sending doctored images of credentials, spoofing phone numbers, or posing as government officials online,” according to a recent release.
Victims are typically contacted by phone, text, email, social media or mail by individuals claiming to be from the SSA or law enforcement.
The scammers often claim there is a critical problem with a person’s Social Security number, benefits, account or identity, and then apply high pressure to compel immediate action, according to the SSA OIG.
Once they have established fear and urgency, the imposters demand payment through methods that are hard to track.
These include wire transfers, cash, cryptocurrency, gift cards and precious metals like gold bars, officials outlined in the press release.
Federal officials stress that no legitimate government employee will ever send photos of their badges or credentials to the public.
Real federal agents also will not threaten arrest or legal action, demand immediate payment or personal information, or ask for gift cards, gold bars, cryptocurrency, wire transfers or cash, according to the Office of the Inspector General warning.
People are advised to ignore any unexpected outreach from someone claiming to represent the SSA and to never trust caller ID, as scammers frequently spoof official government phone numbers.
Authorities urge the public to avoid clicking links or downloading attachments from unknown senders, independently verify agency contact information and create a personal online Social Security account to help protect against identity theft.
If anyone believes they are a victim of this scam, federal authorities advise them to immediately stop all communication with the scammer and notify their financial institutions.
Victims should also file a police report with local law enforcement and report the fraud to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, the Federal Trade Commission and the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General.
Photo credit: Freepik
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