Fighting Back Against Scammers

SPRINGFIELD - Scammers and conmen have plagued societies since ancient times. Unfortunately, advances in technology have made their efforts to deceive even easier and more pervasive. We now have to be on our guard from tricks coming through our mail, email, landlines, cell phones, and even right up to our door.

While scammers constantly invent new ways to try and steal your personal and financial information, one common tactic they use is to pretend they're from the government. Often posing as someone from the FBI, IRS, or Social Security Administration, scammers threaten legal action or canceled benefits to scare elderly Americans into giving out private information.

Congress is working to stop scam callers and bring the conmen behind them to justice, but greater public awareness is also important. Knowing how scammers try to trick you and how to respond can help protect you and your loved ones from falling victim to a con.

The first thing to remember is that government employees will not threaten to take away benefits or ask for money or personal information to protect your Social Security card or benefits. Except in very rare situations, bonafide government employees will also not initiate contact with you by email or phone.

Instead of emails or phone calls, agencies like the IRS and Social Security Administration correspond with Americans by mail. But even the mail isn't totally safe from scammers. If you receive a letter claiming to be from any federal agency, you can always contact one of my offices to verify it is legitimate.

Another thing to keep in mind is thatScammers can fake your caller ID. So don’t be fooled if a call seems to be from the Social Security Administration's real phone number (800) 772-1213, or an IRS phone number like (202) 803-9000 or (202) 622-5000. Regardless of what number shows up on the caller ID, if a caller asks for your Social Security number, bank account number or credit card information, hang up.

Finally, you can fight backby reporting suspected scams to the:

• Social Security Administration Inspector General
• Internal Revenue Service
• Federal Trade Commission, and the
• Federal Bureau of Investigation

Sincerely,

John Shimkus
Member of Congress

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