Police say Social Security scams on the rise

MILAN, Tenn. — It seems like every day there are more scams, and especially upsetting are scams that target people who depend on Social Security benefits and then use the recipients’ name in their shady deals.

The Milan Police Department wants to bring  awareness to the community about a recent telephone scam making the rounds.

“There is a Social Security scam going around right now where they contact people by phone and they try to get their personal information, like a Social Security number or bank account information,” Milan Police Chief Bobby Sellers said.

Chief Sellers says it is unlikely to receive Social Security calls over the phone. If you receive this kind of call, he says to hang up.

“Most of the time they would come in person, or their most common form of communication is by letter, so they will send a letter if your information needs updating,” Chief Sellers said.

Here’s how it works: The scammer says they need the information to issue you additional funds or rebates. Because of a computer glitch, they’ll say they lost your personal information.

Another scam used is an email designed to look like it came from the Social Security office. It provides information about the annual cost-of-living adjustment and directs readers to a website designed to look like the official site telling them to “update their information.”

“A lot of times, the scammers promise that if you’ll give me X-amount of dollars, I’ll return your money and I’ll give you a huge increase, and that’s a common practice,” Sellers said.

Chief Sellers says if the deal seems too good to be true, it’s most likely a scam.

He says if you receive these calls or emails, ignore them. You can call the Social Security Administration to check whether or not they need that information.

Sellers says if you receive one of these calls, report it to local law enforcement.