The Social Security Administration said Americans can avoid fraudulent calls and Internet phishing programs by not revealing personal information, clicking on malicious links, or opening dubious attachments.
The agency said most of the Social Security emails would come from an “.gov” email address.
If an email address does not end with “.gov”, be careful before opening attachments or clicking on images or links.
You can learn more about how to protect your personal data and your online account on the Administration’s security website.
How many scams have been reported?
Last year, according to the agency, there were more than 568,000 reports of attempted Social Security fraud, which cost more than $ 63.6 million in losses.
This year, it has already received over 31,000 complaints related to Social Security fraud.
Many other incidents are unlikely to be reported due to embarrassment or shame, government officials say.
Reporting social security fraud
If you suspect that an email you have received from the Social Security Administration may be fraudulent, we encourage you to avoid replying to or clicking on any links in the email.
The SSA said it was necessary to report the email by forwarding it to the Computer Disaster Preparedness Team (US-CERT) at phishing-report@us-cert.gov.