Several Hubbard County residents have recently reported receiving scam phone calls claiming to be from the Social Security Administration (SSA).
The SSA offers advice about similar scams at www.ssa.gov/scam . In brief:
Social Security advises that they may call you in some situations, but will never threaten you, suspend your Social Security number, demand immediate payment, or ask for gift card numbers over the phone or to wire or mail cash.
SSA may email or text you about programs and services, but will never ask for a return call to an unknown number. Social Security only sends emails or texts if you have opted in to receive them, for example, as part of their enhanced security.
If you receive a suspicious call, text, or email, SSA advises you to hang up; do not return unknown calls, texts or emails; do not give money or personal information; and report the scam to the Office of the Inspector General at oig.ssa.gov/scam.
The SSA also recommends asking someone you trust for advice before making any large purchase or financial decision, and urges people not to be embarrassed to report if they shared personal information or suffered a financial loss.
