How to Identify Scammers Offering to Help Disability Applicants
May 28, 2020
For many people who are receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income Disability (SSID), it is their only source of income. When a phone call comes from someone claiming to be from the Social Security Administration (SSA)and threatens to cut off benefits, you may want to do everything you can to make sure your benefits will continue. Unfortunately, most of those calls or emails are not from the SSA but from scammers.
Scammers may also be offering help with disability applications. However, the only “help” they provide is helping themselves to your identifying information to rip you off. If you need help with a Social Security disability claim, you can contact SSA directly or contact the experienced North Carolina disability benefits attorneys at Lloyd King Law Firm, PLLC.
Why Are Scammers Claiming to Be from Social Security?
Scammers are taking advantage of those who rely on Social Security benefits for their livelihood. There are a couple of ways scam artists use SSA claims to rip people off. The first reason is to get personal identifying information. This information can be used to open up credit cards, take out loans, or make fraudulent purchases online. Some of the vital information scammers need for this include:
Social Security number
Mother's maiden name
Date of birth
Home address
Another way scammers are taking advantage of people is to claim to need payment in order to clear up a problem. This usually involves convincing the individual on the phone that they need to send money through a wire transfer or purchase gift cards and give the card information to the scammer. To get payment, the scammer may threaten the individual with an arrest or cutting off benefits.
How Do I Know if The Call or Email Is Really from Social Security?
In most situations, the Social Security Administration will contact you by letter. Scammers can spoof phone numbers, so the call may look like it is coming from a government agency or Caller ID may show a name that looks official. However, the phone number you are getting the call from may have nothing to do with the actual scammer's phone number.
If you are not expecting a call from Social Security, then an unsolicited call or robocall is most likely a scam. If you do get a call from someone claiming to be from Social Security, you can always hang up and call your Social Security office directly from the information on the SSA.gov website.
Social Security employees will never threaten you, tell you that they are going to suspend your Social Security number, or demand payment. Social Security will never ask for payment by cash, gift card, or prepaid debit card.
What Should I Do if I Get a Scam Call?
If you get a call that you think may be a scam, hang up. You can report the call to the SSA Office of Inspector General. If a scammer leaves a message about your Social Security number expiring or a problem with your account, do not call back. If you have any concerns about your Social Security Disability case, you can contact the SSA directly.
Contact Lloyd King Law Firm for Help with Your Disability Benefits Case in North Carolina
Lloyd King can help you get disability benefits and provides a free case review to answer your questions. Lloyd King has more than 40 years of legal experience, including almost ten years as a Social Security Administrative Law Judge in Raleigh, North Carolina. Another one-fourth of his legal experience has been at his own disability benefits practice, with offices located in Raleigh and Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. Contact Lloyd King Law Firm PLLC today.