FRANKFORT, Ky. -- A new scam is hitting the Bluegrass State: Con artists claim to be federal agents in a ruse to get victims to reveal their Social Security numbers.
Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear said a Jefferson County resident recently lost $600 to the scam. A caller claiming to be with the Social Security Administration tricked her into disclosing her Social Security number -- and paying a fee to get a new number and card, Beshear said.
He urged all Kentuckians to hang up on any caller who asks for a Social Security number.
"Never provide your Social Security number or other sensitive information, like your bank account or credit card number, over the phone -- unless you are confident who you are talking with," Beshear said in a statement.
His office had this advice:
Verify information with the legitimate government organization. If you get a call from a government official, confirm you are speaking with a legitimate employee by actually hanging up and calling the official number.
Don't trust a cold caller. Con artists use official-sounding names to make you trust them. To make their call seem legitimate, scammers use internet technology to spoof their area code to make it look like they are calling from Washington DC, but could be calling from anywhere in the world.
Don't use untraceable methods of payment. If you are asked to make a payment using wire transfer, gift cards or cash it is most likely a scam.
To report scams to the Social Security Administration fraud hotline, dial 1-800-269-0271 and visit Beshear’s office to file an online consumer complaint.
