ST. GEORGE — Fraudsters create impostor social media pages and accounts using Social Security-related images and vocabulary, making them appear to be associated with or endorsed by the federal organization.
They also create impostor social media pages of Social Security officials, as well as the Office of the Inspector General.
Social Security representatives never ask for sensitive information through social media as these channels are not secure, according to a news release. Sometimes, users are asked to enter their financial information, Social Security number or other sensitive information. This is a red flag and often an indication of a fraudulent account.
How to spot a fake social media account
Identifying an impostor account may seem difficult at first, but there are a few things to look for right away. Focus on the following:
- How many people follow the impostor page? In most cases, fake pages have a very low number of followers as compared with Social Security’s official page.
- Improper punctuation.
- Links to pages not on SSA.gov.
- Advertisements for forms or other Social Security documents for a price.
- Incorrect social media handles. Click here to view the list of official social media channels.
Citizens are asked to report suspected Social Security impostor scams — and other Social Security fraud — to the Office of the Inspector General website. More information about scams is available on the Protect Yourself from Scams webpage.