Social Security Phone Scam Targets local residents

By Santa Ynez Valley Star Staff · Tue Mar 17 2020

Staff Report

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office has recently received a large number of reports county-wide regarding several different familiar telephone scams. 

The most active scam right now is the Social Security scam, and residents have lost thousands of dollars to these con artists, a spokesman said. Recently, a resident lost $11,000.

In the Social Security scheme, the caller claims to be with the Social Security Administration and often provides a name and badge number. The caller claims that the victim’s Social Security number has been compromised and connected with some criminal activity.

In one instance, the victim was told that her Social Security number was found in a car in Texas, along with some drugs and bloodstains. The caller claims that the victim’s bank account is in danger, and that the victim must quickly go to the bank, take out the money, and put it into gift cards.

The call usually begins as a recorded phone call that states your Social Security number has been suspended and you will lose all of your benefits, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Furthermore, the caller says if you do not respond your Social Security number will be permanently blocked or your bank accounts will be seized.

Here are some tips to remember: