In the past several months, phone scams targeting seniors and Social Security beneficiaries have been on the rise.

The Social Security Administration has been hard at work spreading the word about the most recent ploy to trick seniors into giving up their Social Security numbers over the phone.  Typically calling from the 323 area code, these scammers fraudulently impersonate Social Security Administration employees and tell their victims that they’re due a cost-of-living increase or some other kind of Social Security payment.

To “verify” the beneficiary’s identity, they ask for a Social Security number, full name, date of birth, and the names of family members.

…But why would the Social Security Administration have to ask for your full Social Security number?  Shouldn’t they already know that?

In reality, the caller is attempting to gain enough of a senior’s personal information to call the REAL Social Security Administration and alter critical information about that beneficiary’s account–including changing his direct deposit, telephone, and mailing information.

But this is only one of many ways scam artists prey on seniors in order to steal their benefits or their identities.

Luckily, preventing yourself from becoming one more of their many victims is very easy if you take a few simple precautions and learn to recognize the red flags of a scam.

Check out our new page on how you can protect yourself from Social Security scams–and what you should do if you think you’ve been targeted.