OTTAWA – The Ottawa Police Department is warning people about another round of phone scams in the area. According to authorities, scammers are leaving messages claiming to be from the Social Security Administration. The caller says he works for the Social Security Administration and your information has been stolen. According to the SSA, the scam calls are happening across the nation.
Some calls are spoofed, which means that scammers can call from anywhere, but they make your caller ID show a different number – often one that looks legit. Here are few things you should know about these so-called SSA calls.
What can you do if you get one of these calls? Hang up. Remember:
• SSA will not threaten you. Real SSA employees will never threaten you to get personal information. They also won’t promise to increase your benefits in exchange for information. If they do, it’s a scam.
• If you have any doubt, hang up and call SSA directly. Call 1-800-772-1213 – that really is the phone number for the Social Security Administration. If you dial that number, you know who you’re getting. But remember that you can’t trust caller ID. If a call comes in from that number, you can’t be sure it’s really SSA calling.
Another one happening in our area is someone calling alleging they are from the Sheriffs Office and there is a warrant for your arrest. They will state that you missed jury duty and a warrant has been issued. Then they will ask that you pay for the warrant over the phone. This is a scam, you can not take care of any warrant over the phone.
Again, never give out personal information over the phone and do not send money over the phone.
Mon - Fri: 02:00 PM - 07:00 PM
