March 4, 2021 is being designated as the annual “Slam the Scam” Day by the Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration (SSA). This is the second annual national “Slam the Scam” day, which promotes awareness of the increase in phone scams across the country.
Telephone Scams
There has been an increase in scam calls impersonating government officials, and “Slam the Scam” aims to raise awareness. In 2020, there were over 718,000 telephone scams reported to the Office of the Inspector General. Many of these scams go unreported, meaning the actual number of telephone scams could be much higher. Victims of these phone scams reported an average of $5,800 in losses for a total of $44.8 million nationwide.
“Slam the Scam”
“Slam the Scam” encourages people to hang up the phone when they think a scammer is on the other line. On the first “Slam the Scam” day, many federal agencies and organizations and even Congress members came together to raise awareness of the increase in telephone scams. For the second annual “Slam the Scam,” the goal is to have more agencies and organizations to raise awareness. The SSA is looking to expand their efforts to further spread their message of how to handle these government impersonators.
What’s the Schedule?
While March 4 is the designated date, Inspector General Ennis and the Commissioner of Social Security, Andrew Saul, will have a press conference on March 3. During their press conference they will answer questions regarding these phone scams and discuss ways to stay vigilant of potential scams. Then, on March 4, there will be a “Slam the Scam” Twitter chat hosted by USA.gov with different Federal agencies. Additionally, the SSA will be hosting a Facebook Live on March 4 where common scams are discussed as well as actions the public can take to combat these scams.
Contact Our Firm to Learn More about SSA Phone Scams
The best way to not fall victim to SSA phone scams is to be alert and aware of the tactics scammers use. If you believe a person impersonating the SSA called you, report that call to the Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration and consider contacting our firm. One of our experienced Social Security disability representatives can help you protect yourself from these scams.
