NEW YORK—”Slam the Scam” Day, an initiative by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and its Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to raise awareness about government imposter scams, will be held on March 6, 2025, as part of National Consumer Protection Week, which runs from March 2 to 8, 2025. The goal is to educate people on how to identify and avoid scams that aim to steal personal information or money by pretending to be from legitimate government agencies.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is involved in this initiative, which significantly raises awareness about government imposter scams and provides resources to help consumers protect themselves.
The FTC offers various resources to help consumers protect themselves and make informed decisions. Its Consumer Advice website provides a wealth of information on multiple topics, including shopping, credit, loans, debt, jobs, making money, unwanted calls, emails, texts, identity theft, and online security.
The FTC also issues consumer alerts to inform the public about the latest scams and fraudulent activities. You can sign up for these alerts on the FTC’s Consumer Alerts page.
In addition, the FTC encourages consumers to report scams and fraudulent activities through their ReportFraud.ftc.gov website. It helps the FTC track and take action against scammers.
In 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported that consumers lost over $10 billion to scams, including $617.9 million to government imposter scams. SSA is still the top government agency that scammers target. As of November 2024, government imposter scam losses for 2024 exceeded $577 million, indicating that the scammers are still succeeding in their ruses.
In 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received over 195,873 complaints of government imposter scams, with Social Security being the most frequently impersonated agency. Almost 12% said they lost money to a scammer—more than $97.8 million for Social Security scams. Scammers often target the elderly, those with limited English proficiency, and veterans.
“Slam the Scam is one of our most effective anti-fraud measures and we are excited to spearhead the 6th National Slam the Scam Day. This campaign is just as significant as our first one because the losses are still too high and the number of consumers being scammed is still very concerning,” said Assistant Inspector General for Audit performing the duties of the Inspector General, Michelle L. Anderson.
SSA and OIG partner with other government agencies, non-profit organizations, and the private sector to increase awareness about how to spot government imposter scams and keep money and personal information safe.
To prevent further losses, the SSA urges everyone to use caution when receiving calls from someone claiming to be from a government agency.
Recognizing the basic signs of a scam helps stop fraudulent activity. Remember:
- Scammers pretend to be from an agency or organization you know to gain your trust.
- Scammers say there is a problem or a prize.
- Scammers pressure you to act immediately.
- Scammers tell you to pay in a specific way.
- Remind your clients, friends, and family to:
Remind your clients, friends, and family to:
- Hang up on suspicious calls from “government officials” trying to resolve a problem with your Social Security number or account.
- NEVER pay with gift cards, wire transfers, or by mailing cash.
- Report Social Security scams to OIG.SSA.GOV.
- Report other scams to reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Always remember the four P’s to assist you in identifying scammers more quickly: 1) Scammers will pretend to be from a legitimate, reputable agency or business to gain your trust; 2) Scammers will then often present a prize, such as an offer to increase your benefits, or make you aware of an unknown problem with your account or with an agency, such as SSA; 3) Scammers will pressure you to act immediately; and 4) Scammers will ask for hard-to-trace payments, such as with a gift card, cryptocurrency, gold bars, wire transfers, or by mailing cash. Knowing the 4Ps will give you the confidence to slam the scam speedily.
— With Jay Domingo/PDM
