AARP Virginia Issues Scam Alert for Week of Sept. 21: Social Security Scams - COVID

Scammers are always looking to capture people’s personal information, and Social Security numbers are highly valuable. Because of that, scammers often impersonate the Social Security Administration. They may pose as a friendly Social Security official who just needs to confirm your information – including your Social Security number. Or, they use fear tactics to force the target’s hand out of fear their Social Security number will be suspended (something the Social Security Administration never does). They may even call with good news – you are eligible for a special cost of living adjustment; all you need to do is confirm your Social Security number.

Know this: the Social Security Administration will not call you out of the blue. You may get a legitimate call if you have an existing issue that you have been working on with the Social Security Administration. If you aren’t expecting a call, when “Social Security” calls, hang up.

Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam. 

Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.

With more than 1 million members in Virginia, AARP is the largest organization working on behalf of people age 50+ and their families in the Commonwealth.

To learn more about AARP Virginia, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aarpvirginia and follow @AARPVa on Twitter at www.twitter.com/aarpva.