Some things we’re glad to see go as 2023 wraps up. Such is the case for the many Social Security scam rackets that took people for money.
What was the biggest of these schemes in the past year? It could be the one by an Ohio man, whose fraudulent actions allegedly took seniors for seven figures.
How could a person be so successful with a fraudulent plan like this? The individual conducting the scam was reported to have used a weapon that works on so many people — fear.
Posing as an official authority of the Social Security Administration, the individual acted as if he was helping his victims. In doing so, he made out with a massive amount of money before he was caught.
Imagine This Scenario: What Would You Do?
A 72-year-old man was at home minding his own business one day, when the phone rang.
The caller told the man that his Social Security number had been compromised. Imagine his horror when he was told it was being used in illegal drug activities. The caller instructed the man to withdraw money from his account and move it to another.
What he didn’t know was that the money he was sending by cashier’s check under the caller’s instructions was going to a scammer. He ended up transferring money from his and his wife’s account, totaling $786,000.
A 51-year-old also fell victim to the same alleged Social Security scam. He ended up sending $130,000. He was instructed to send a cashier’s check to a local Walgreens, where the accused was seen picking up the money.
When this happened he was currently on probation for a similar scheme that saw him take another woman for over $187,000, by telling her that her Social Security number was compromised.
Beware of Social Security Scams
As we’ve covered here at NORA, Social Security fraud is a rampant problem, and anyone can fall victim. As a reminder, if you’re ever led to believe that something has gone wrong with your Social Security number or account, contact the SSA directly.
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