They might claim you've won a lottery, or tell you to press a particular key to learn more or get off a call list.
Other robocall fakes might offer you a free cruise, cheap health insurance or a low-interest loan. Social Security and the Internal Revenue Service are perennially popular poses, and fraud watchers noted a huge increase in phony Amazon calls as the pandemic drove more people to shop online. If you do, the robotic voice on the other end might claim to represent a utility, a name-brand company or a government agency. In a 2019 AARP survey on robocalls, 59 percent of respondents said they are more likely to answer if caller ID shows a number with their area code. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission.Scammers often use caller ID spoofing to mask their true location, making it appear that they’re calling from a legitimate or local number to raise the odds that you’ll pick up. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. To protect your privacy and the privacy of other people, please do not include personal information. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain.
We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. To file a detailed report about a scam, go to. We won’t post comments that include personal information, like Social Security numbers, account numbers, home addresses, and email addresses.We won’t post threats, defamatory statements, or suggestions or encouragement of illegal activity.We won’t post comments that include vulgar messages, personal attacks by name, or offensive terms that target specific people or groups.We won’t post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions.We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices.
And then to report it to the Federal Trade Commission. Tell your friends and neighbors about this scam. So if you’re getting these calls, you’re not alone. (You can explore the data about imposter scams and losses at ftc.gov/exploredata.) People filed nearly 73,000 reports about Social Security imposters in the first six months of 2019, with reported losses of $17 million. The Social Security Administration scam is the number one scam reported to the FTC right now. The real SSA will never tell you to wire money, send cash, or put money on a gift card.The real Social Security Administration will never call to threaten your benefits.Your Social Security number is not about to be suspended.If you get a call like this, do not press 1. (That’s not true, by the way.) Your browser does not support the audio element. Check out this SSA imposter robocall, which says your benefits will end. We’ve seen a new twist on the Social Security Administration (SSA) scam recently. Identity Theft and Online Security Show/hide Identity Theft and Online Security menu items.Unwanted Calls, Emails, and Texts Show/hide Unwanted Calls, Emails, and Texts menu items.Money-Making Opportunities and Investments.Jobs and Making Money Show/hide Jobs and Making Money menu items.