En esta noticia
The FBI recently issued an alert to the public about widespread fraud schemes in which scammers pretend to be part of both U.S. and foreign law enforcement or government officials in order to steal money or sensitive personal information.
According to the statement, between January 2025 and July 2026 the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received around 61,000 complaints about scams of this kind, with losses totaling $1.6 billion.
SSA, for its part, also warned a few days ago through its official website about these crimes and listed the 4 behaviors that no federal agent will have and that can be interpreted as signs of a scam.
Alert for SSA beneficiaries: what scams related to benefits are like
The authorities highlight a key point in the criminals’ modus operandi: on the one hand, they create situations to generate a sense of urgency and pressure people to give them money and access to accounts. On the other hand, they seek to make the victim act without time to process what is happening.
It is also explained that they can buy ads on Google Search and Bing so that potential targets to be scammed contact them directly.
In the specific case of SSA, “the scammers lie by saying that your Social Security benefits will end, or that your Social Security Number will be suspended, unless you pay immediately,” it says.
Fraud schemes also reach the Federal Trade Commission, Medicare, state toll agencies, and local courts.
The 4 things no federal agent will do, and that are signs of a scam
In the notice issued by SSA, it is stated that no Government agent will have the following attitudes:
- Tell the victim that their money is not safe and that they must move it to protect it
- Threaten to suspend benefits if payment is not made immediately
- Demand payment with an app, cryptocurrencies, bank transfer, or gift card
- Contact them by text message or messaging app, such as WhatsApp, to ask for money, information, or access to accounts.
What to do after being a victim of a scam
The FBI’s guidance in these situations is:
- Immediately stop all contact with the scammers
- Notify the relevant financial institutions
- Contact the local security agency to file a report
- File a complaint with the IC3 (with contact information for the scammers, required financial information, and communications kept)
Scams related to Social Security can also be reported at this link.