We have had several reports that a phone scam has resurfaced in our area. In this latest scam, a caller says that he’s from the government and your Social Security number (SSN) has been suspended. He sounds very professional. So you should do exactly what he says to fix things…right? Wrong! Your Social Security number isn’t suspended. Ever.

The scammer can be very persistent and persuasive. He will say your SSN was suspended because of some connection to fraud or other criminal activity, and then offer to help you “reactivate” your supposedly “suspended” SSN. He will tell you  to call a number to clear it up – where they’ll ask you for more personal information. Of course, that number is part of their deception. 

For more information about this “suspended Social Security number” scam, please see this article published by the Federal Trade Commission.

Remember to always be very cautious if someone calls you and asks for personal information like your social security number or account numbers.

Here are some tips for recognizing and preventing phone and imposter scams:

• Don’t trust caller ID. Scammers can “spoof” their numbers so it looks like they are calling from a particular company or number, even when they are not.
• Don’t give personal information. Don’t provide any personal or financial information unless you’ve initiated the call and it’s to a phone number you know is correct.
• If you get a robocall, hang up. Don’t press 1 to speak to a live operator or any other key to take your number off the list. If you respond by pressing any number, it will likely lead to more robocalls.

As a reminder, Baker Boyer will not contact you asking for information we already have. Be extra careful when answering calls or messages. Never give your account information and don’t even confirm any personal information they may already have. If you are unsure if a call is from Baker Boyer, hang up and call us back directly.

And, if someone has tried to steal your personal information by pretending to be from the government, report it to the FTC.