Dear Tribal Leaders Letters (Subscribe)

Announcement for Anti-Fraud Efforts

Date:

Dear Tribal Leader & Urban Indian Organization Leader:

The Inspector General for the Social Security Administration (SSA) has designated March 7, 2024, as National "Slam the Scam" Day—an outreach campaign to raise public awareness of Social Security scams and other government imposter scams. This is part of National Consumer Protection Week, March 3 - 9, 2024. We are asking you to share information about "Slam the Scam" Day with your Tribal members, friends, and family.

In 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received over 228,282 complaints of government imposter scams, with Social Security as the most frequently impersonated agency. Over 14% said they lost money to a scammer — a total of more than $126.5 million for Social Security scams. To prevent further losses, we urge everyone to use caution when receiving calls from someone claiming to be from a government agency and recognize the basic signs of a scam to stop fraudulent activity.

Be aware of the following please:

  • Scammers pretend to be from an 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 Tribal members, friends, and family to take the following actions:

  • Hang up on suspicious calls from "government officials" who are calling about a problem with your Social Security number or account.
  • NEVER make payments with gift cards, wire transfers, or by mailing cash.
  • Report Social Security scams to oig.ssa.gov/report.
  • Report other scams to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

We ask that you please read and share our Scam Awareness Toolkit and Scam Alert infographic. And for additional resources and activities, please visit FTC's National Consumer Protection Week. Together, we will remain vigilant against government imposter scams and help protect your Tribal members, friends, and family from fraud.

Sincerely,

Richard O. Litsey, Director
Renee Ferguson, Deputy Director
Office of Native American Partnerships
Office of the Commissioner
Social Security Administration