Carts containing documents organized at the IRS Processing Facility on September 06, 2024
(Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)One of the worst feelings in the world is when you get scammed. We’ve all experienced being duped on one level or another. The worst is when it involves our identity or personal information.
On multiple occasions, my credit card has been fraudulently used. Fortunately, the financial incidents involved were small amounts of money and were reimbursed by my credit card company. However, when this happened, there was that awful feeling of being violated.
It haunts you, wondering how it happened. Was I careless? What should I have done differently? Unfortunately, in these cases, you may never learn the answers to these questions.
One of the things that I did was register my Social Security account. This is one of the ways to prevent others from stealing your identity by registering using your information before you do. Once you have an account, scammers can’t use your information to register another account. Anything related to your account can be accessed if you have an account at SSA.gov/myaccount.
National Slam the Scam Day
On Thursday, March 5, 2026, during National Consumer Protection Week, the Social Security Administration and the Office of the Inspector General are planning “National Slam the Scam Day.”
They’re inviting everyone to participate and learn how to use the tools they provide to help prevent us from being scammed.
The Social Security Administration and the Federal Trade Commission are helping us recognize impostors. This includes one of the most devastating scams, those that are Social Security-related. It will help us prevent scammers from stealing our money and personal information.
According to the SSA website, “Scammers might call, email, text, write, or message you on social media claiming to be from the Social Security Administration or the Office of the Inspector General. They might use the name of a person who really works there and might send a picture or attachment as “proof.”
This is just one example of how you could be scammed. Some red flags include:
- An unexpected problem or offer of a prize or government benefit increase.
- Pressure to act immediately.
- Request for unusual payments like cryptocurrency, gift cards, gold bars, cash, or wire transfers.
For more information or to report a scam or fraud, visit the Social Security Administration or the Federal Trade Commission websites.
