New Social Security Scam Spoofs Government Badges

New Social Security Scam Spoofs Government Badges
Criminals text or email photos of fake government identification badges to trick people into sending money.

Social Security Administration officials warn there is a new scam making the rounds that involves fake government identification badges.


Gail S. Ennis, inspector general for the Social Security Administration (SSA), issued a fraud alert this week that describes the new tactic.


Imposters use images of the fake badges in phone scams to deceive people into sending money or personal information. The fraudulent versions of these identification badges look like the ID most federal employees use to gain access to government buildings, officials said.


"The badges use government symbols, words, and even names and photos of real people, which are available on government websites or through Internet searches. The scammers may text or email photos of the fake badges to convince potential victims of their legitimacy," officials said in a fraud alert.


General Ennis has designated today as National "Slam the Scam" Day as part of National Consumer Protection Week.


The full fraud alert can be found here


Dark Reading's Quick Hits delivers a brief synopsis and summary of the significance of breaking news events. For more information from the original source of the news item, please follow the link provided in this article. View Full Bio

Recommended Reading:

More Insights



Support the originator by clicking the read the rest link below.