Protect Your Assets. Raise Awareness. Protect Yourself.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 7, 2024
Media Inquiries: oig.dcom@ssa.gov
5th Annual National Slam the Scam Day is March 7, 2024
The deluge never seems to end—imposter phone calls, texts, emails, social media, and even U.S. mail: so many ruses, all with the same intent – to fleece you. Scammers are after your identity and money. Worst of all, it keeps getting harder and harder to spot them. That’s why the Social Security Administration (SSA) and its Office of the Inspector General (SSA OIG) continue to promote National Slam the Scam Day to help keep you informed of the continually evolving tactics scammers use.
Even amid the various tricks and schemes to divest you of your savings, there are some consistent red flags to help you to spot scams and scammers more easily and to give you the confidence to quickly slam the scam. Raise your awareness and protect your assets by joining us for the National Slam the Scam Day, March 7, 2024.
This year marks the 5th anniversary since SSA and SSA OIG initiated the campaign in 2020 to raise public awareness to combat Social Security-related scams. Recently, the campaign expanded to include other government imposter scams as reported losses from consumers continued to climb. In 2023, losses were more than $483 million, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
SSA and SSA OIG partner with other government agencies, non-profit organizations, and the private sector to increase awareness about how to spot government imposter scams and keep money and personal information safe.
In a government imposter scam, someone claims to be an SSA official, or other government employee, and may ask for personal information, demand payment, or make threats. Scammers are constantly changing their tactics and using new technology, but the basic script remains same – scare you into thinking you must take immediate action and give up your information or money. These scams primarily use the telephone, but scammers may also use email, text messages, social media, or U.S. mail.
“As we reach our fifth National Slam the Scam Day, we are just as committed as we were in 2020. The scammers have not stopped, and we will not stop in our commitment to increase public awareness of these pervasive scams,” said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for SSA.
“Our messaging helps consumers to recognize a scam and reminds them to slam the scam. We urge consumers to disconnect from interactions with the scammer, whether it’s on the phone, or via text or email. That’s the only effective measure to avoid losing one’s personal identifying information or possessions.
We are grateful for the many partnerships we have formed over the last 5 years in support of this initiative and the collaborative efforts that have come forth. We will continue informing Congress of our progress and successes as we work to combat these malicious schemes. We must continue to work together to slam the scam.”
“As public servants, we must use every tool at our disposal to raise awareness and protect the American people against Social Security imposter scams,” said Martin O’Malley, Commissioner of Social Security. “Scammers use fear and deception to scare people out of their critical benefits. We urge everyone to protect their personal information, remain vigilant, do not give money, and report any scam attempts to oig.ssa.gov.”
Consumer awareness is the most effective method of deterring these crimes, therefore, we hold National Slam the Scam Day annually as part of the Federal Trade Commission’s National Consumer Protection Week, (NCPW), March 3- 9, 2024.
On March 7, 2024, National Slam the Scam Day, partners host social media chats to empower the public to Slam the Scam by sharing tips for spotting scams.
Tips for spotting scams is critical in raising awareness. Visit SSA and SSA OIG’s joint website for resources, tips, and alerts and to report Social Security-related scams.
SSA OIG urges everyone to be cautious of any contact supposedly from a government agency telling you about a problem you don’t recognize and provides the following tips.
Real government officials will NEVER:
- threaten arrest or legal action against you unless you immediately send money;
- promise to increase your benefits or resolve a problem if you pay a fee or move your money into a protected account;
- require payment with gift cards, prepaid debit cards, wire transfer, Internet currency, or by mailing cash; or
- try to gain your trust by providing fake “documentation,” false “evidence,” or the name of a real government official.
Additional resources for the press and public can be found in the Press Kit.
The public is encouraged to report Social Security-related scams and fraud online at https://oig.ssa.gov.
Other government imposter scams may be reported to the Federal Trade Commission https://www.ftc.gov/scams. Join us on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) to follow along on National Slam the Scam Day using #SlamTheScam and visit https://oig.ssa.gov/scam for more information.
Scammers frequently change their approach, trying new tactics and messaging to trick people. We encourage you to stay up to date on the latest news and advisories by following SSA OIG on X (Twitter) and Facebook or subscribing to receive email alerts.
| Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) | Like us on Facebook | Get Email Updates |
Social Security will never threaten, scare, or pressure you to take an immediate action. Recognize the signs of a Social Security-related scam and report it. Slam the Scam!