The typical scam involves a robocall from someone impersonating the Social Security Administration (SSA) and asking for the recipient’s personal information. These calls resulted in scammers bilking Americans, mostly seniors, for over $38 million last year alone, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
• Robocalls are automated calls from companies you haven’t authorized to contact you. They’re illegal and usually a scam.
• Unsolicited calls from government agencies, public utility companies or major tech firms never call requesting your personal information.
• Being told you’ve been selected as a prize winner and asking for money to receive the prize is always a scam.
• If you are being bullied or pressured into making an immediate payment on the phone or by money wire they are scammers.
• Being bullied or pressured into making payments with gift cards is definitely a scam.
• Technical support for your computer that you did not request.
• The IRS sends plenty of correspondence before sending you to collections. They will NEVER threaten arrest on the phone.
• The Social Security office will NEVER call to ask you to give them your information by phone.
• A call requesting that you send money to a relative who is stranded in a foreign country is almost always a scam.
• Each of these instances is best handled by simply hanging up.