Question: I got a phone message that I think is a scam but it sounds very smooth, much smoother than other calls, so I want to check and report it; I think people might fall for this. It’s a man saying my Social Security account is being suspended for suspicious activity and to press 1 for more information or to call back immediately (it leaves a certain number). … Other times I have gotten these types of calls, the voice was robotic, or the guy had a heavy accent … This call was different; it’s the perfect radio voice, easy to understand …
Answer: Your instinct was correct. This is a sophisticated iteration of the Social Security Administration impersonation scam, which relies on pre-recorded robocalls. Numerous other readers have also called Kokua Line about it. You did the right thing by hanging up.
You can report the scam attempt to the U.S. Office of Inspector General Fraud Hotline at 1-800-269-0271 or online at oig.ssa.gov/report.
Not all scam messages are from smooth talkers. No matter if the voice sounds warm and helpful, robotic because it is computer-generated, or difficult to understand because of a heavy accent, the advice is the same if you suspect fraud: Hang up without providing any personal information, and don’t call the number provided.
Be aware that these scam calls can “spoof” Social Security’s national customer service number as the incoming number on your caller ID.
The Social Security Administration and Office of the Inspector General are hearing about this scam nationwide, and have launched a joint public service announcement campaign about it. You might see the PSAs on TV on online or hear them on the radio.
“We urge you to always be cautious and to avoid providing sensitive information such as your Social Security number or bank account information to unknown people over the phone or Internet,” Nancy A. Berryhill, acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration, said in a news release. “If you receive a call and are not expecting one, you must be extra careful — you can always get the caller’s information, hang up, and contact the official phone number of the business or agency the caller claims to represent. Do not reveal personal data to a stranger who calls you.”
If you are trying to reach Social Security in this manner, call 1-800-772-1213 (please note that this is a different number than the fraud hotline mentioned earlier).
Social Security employees do occasionally call people for business purposes, but they will never threaten you or promise a benefit in exchange for information, the agency said. Those are signs of fraud; hang up.
Auwe
Don’t fall for the sob story of people who try to sell you jewelry in the parking lot, saying they need the money and it’s a good deal. I didn’t even like the ring but the lady said she wasn’t a beggar and I should take it in exchange for money I was willing to give her. I would have given her money for food but now I am mad! Auwe to thieves who prey on people’s good nature. — No name please
(It sounds like you may have fallen victim to a fake jewelry scam that CrimeStoppers and the Honolulu Police Department publicized recently.
A notice on HPD’s website advised people not to purchase any jewelry from strangers on the streets, citing reports that individuals had been approached “over various parts of the island” by people who claimed to be desperate for cash and willing to part with valuable jewelry at a deep discount; the jewelry is fake.
Anyone with information about such incidents is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or *CRIME on your cellphone. Or submit the tip at at honolulu crimestoppers.org or via the P3 Tips app.)
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
