I received this alarming report anonymously:
We have an office ... that began being inundated with calls yesterday, resulting from spoofers using the FO [Field Office] GI [General Information?] line in caller ID.Several of the calls received today related to the spoofing report that when the public answers the call, a recording comes on and tells them their SSN [Social Security Number] has been suspended. If they want more information, they can push 1.
When they push 1, their call is actually routed to the field office GI line. The FO staff conjectures that this in essence sets up a three-party call with the perpetrator muted and listening in. In other words, the spoofers are directing someone to our office in hopes SSA staff would ask the public identifying questions to check to see if their SSN has been suspended while they listen to the call.
Holy cow. This is frightening and terrible. Has this been reported to OIG?
ReplyDeleteIf a 3 way is being set up by the scammers, since they are the ones initiating the call to SSA, the government should be able to trace back the call to where it's coming from, I would think. Even if they are spoofing the caller ID, the government has had the ability to trace calls since long before caller ID existed.
ReplyDeleteBeen happening off and on in the midwest for a year or more.
ReplyDeleteSince all this started happening, I do NOT answer calls from Social Security unless I am under review, and there is actually a real person that is on the other side. I ask questions first, then I let them speak. Generally, since I'm not under review all the time, obviously, I don't answer any calls from Social Security, and never from an unknown number. I would call or drive to the local field office if I were to get a suspicious call that alarms me. This situation is just messed up. I agree with 9:05.... the gov't should be able to trace the calls. They can find anyone in the world, except telephone/email scam artists.
ReplyDeleteEasy to trace a traditional telephone line. I think these guys use VOIP, so easy to hide where they are at.
ReplyDeleteHope SSA is on the alert for malice. It is a VITAL link to many millions of us.
ReplyDeleteConsidering how badly SSA wants a scalp for all these calls, the fact that they haven't charged anyone (besides two people at stateside gateways) shows that they are completely, woefully unprepared to deal with any of this. Their OIG is ridiculously understaffed, their investigative abilities limited, and their IT is decrepit.
ReplyDeleteGood people, bad tech, worse leadership.
Maybe now is a bad time to divert agency resources to the proposed 2 million+ additional continuing disability reviews it proposes to do, if it lacks the resources to effectively go after scammers like that.
ReplyDeleteThe lack of understanding on how complicated this is to stop and identify is staggering, now wonder you are in admin law.
ReplyDelete