Elderly Vienna Resident Targeted In Social Security Scam

VIENNA, VA — An elderly resident became a victim in a Social Security scam on Nov. 9, according to Vienna Police.

Police say someone claiming to work for the Social Security Administration called the elderly woman and said her information had been compromised. The scammer told her to buy gift cards to fix the purported issue. The woman bought the gift cards from a retailer and provided the gift card numbers over the phone. Afterward, she got in contact with police and was told the incident was a scam.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, the most common scam involves callers pretending to be from the government, and the majority of calls mention Social Security. Between January and May 2019, 64,600 scams involving Social Security Administration imposters were reported to the FTC.

The FTC cautions residents that government agencies do not call requesting payment, including gift cards. The following tips can help you avoid government imposter scams:

• Be suspicious of any call from a government agency asking for money or information. Government agencies don’t call you with threats, or promises of – or demands for – money. Scammers do.
• Don’t trust caller ID – it can be faked. Even if it might look like a real call, don’t trust it.
• Never pay with a gift card or wire transfer. If someone tells you to pay this way, it’s a scam.
• Check with the real agency. Look up their number. Call them to find out if they’re trying to reach you – and why.