Everywhere we turn it seems that someone is trying to steal our identity and personal information and always coming up with new schemes to do so. According to this story from The Gazette there seems to be a new scam targeting Americans who are interested in receiving Social Security disability benefits.
This new scam seems to be focused on people in the Colorado Springs, Colorado area. Someone who calls himself “Billy with Social Security” has been calling people informing he can assist with them getting Social Security disability benefits. Apparently caller identification indicates the number is a local Colorado Springs number, but when people call it back it appears to be something different.
This is another instance where people need to remain on their toes. Social Security would never call someone randomly and ask it they want help getting disability benefits. The same goes for law firms or advocates who actually do help people get Social Security disability benefits. Unless you have previously indicated you would like a call from a Social Security advocate ahead of time, they will not be calling you out of the blue.
This is a very distressing report because it hampers Social Security’s ability to process applications. It also causes suspicion if a legitimate legal representative is following through on information a potential client has requested.
Taking a little extra time to verify who you are dealing with can save a lot of headaches. Anyone calling from Social Security, a law office or an advocate would be willing to let you verify their identity by looking online or by calling them back. It is always better to be safe than sorry. No one should ever provide their personal information from someone who calls them unsolicited unless they can easily verify the identity.
