In a world of increasing uncertainty, there are always going to be unscrupulous individuals who seek to take advantage of the situation. Unfortunately, according to the Social Security Administration, some of those individuals have used the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and response to target Social Security recipients with a new scam claiming that they may lose their benefits.
What is the Social Security COVID-19 scam?
As we noted in our last post, the Social Security Administration is closing all 1,200 of their field offices for most in-person visits in response to the pandemic. However, these closures will not impact the payment of benefits.
According to the Inspector General for Social Security, scammers are targeting recipients by saying that their payments are going to be canceled unless they call a phone number. Once recipients call the number, the scammers solicit personal information or payment from them in order to maintain their benefits.
The inspector general clarified that the Social Security Administration will never threaten to “suspend or decrease Social Security benefit payments” unless they receive payment and will not solicit personal information via email. If you receive one of these emails, report it as spam and do not provide any personal information.
Trusted Social Security Disability Benefits Attorney Services
As millions of Americans face economic difficulty as a result of the measures taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19, many are counting on Social Security benefits more than ever. If you live in Albany or Eugene and need assistance applying for Social Security benefits or appealing a rejected claim, call Drew L. Johnson, P.C., Attorneys at Law today at (541) 434-6466 to schedule a free initial consultation for your claim.
