Spring 2020

Beware of Social Security Phone Scams »

I received an email to my personal email box the other day from the social security office. I was skeptical when I saw it in my inbox, because I didn’t know why the social security office would be emailing me. Turns out it was a legitimate email warning me about rampant social security scams and offered tips to keeping information safe. Last week I received an email to my work email from our social security contact with a warning about these scams as well.

The thing is it’s not just scams with social security. People are receiving fraudulent calls, emails and text messages that claim to be from organizations we trust. Have you received a call from the IRS lately? They are sending authorities after me for failure to pay! At least that is what the mechanical voicemail seemed to indicate. I’m not worried. The IRS would never contact me via email or voicemail. They send their scary letters via U.S. Mail.

Has the CDC (Center for Disease Control) or WHO (World Health Organization) sent you an email lately? Do they want you to click on a link to see cases in your area? Did you stop to wonder how they got your email address?

The scams are out there and they can sound very legitimate. I don’t want you to be fooled or concerned, so here are some friendly tips that can help you navigate some of these uncertainties:

• No government agency will ever ask you for your social security number or personal information over the phone.
• The IRS will not call you to tell you that you owe them money. They will always send this to you in writing.
• Never click on a link in an email unless the sender has let you know it is coming ahead of time.
• If a company you do business with, sends you an email to verify your billing information, never click on that link. Call them first, using the number on your bill, to verify what (if anything), is needed.
• Never give your credit card number out over the phone to someone who has called you. If you think it is legitimate, offer to call them back at the number on their business card, invoice or website just to be safe.
• Don’t answer you phone if you don’t recognize the caller! If it is important, they will leave you a message so that you can call them back.
• If someone is asking you to pay a bill in gift cards, this is a scam. Hang up your phone!

A legitimate agency will never threaten you over the phone or demand immediate payment from you. If this is happening, hang up the phone. So many fraudsters sound legitimate these days. We don’t want you to be tricked. Even I have gotten emails from companies that I do business with that look so real! It is easy to be fooled into thinking they are. It is better to be safe than sorry – delete the email and pick up the phone to verify.

Keep in mind that when working with us, your call will always come to a member of our team. We know you and want to keep your assets safe. At the same time, don’t be surprised when we pick up the phone to call you to verify your email request or confirm the voicemail you left. Your security is our priority.