Inspector General’s Office Warns: Hybrid Scams on the Rise

Posted:  August 15, 2024

Scammers introduce SSA “long-con” scams through seemingly common problems

Scammers are compounding tactics by using fake Amazon or PayPal tech support emails and
text messages to get you to connect with an imposter Social Security Administration (SSA)
employee who will try to convince you that your Social Security number (SSN) or record is
compromised.
The email or text message claims that something is wrong with your Amazon or PayPal account
and while trying to fix the alleged issue, the scammer instead states that in searching your
computer they found other problems, mainly with your SSN. They then offer to assist by
transferring you to someone pretending to be with SSA.
“This type of ‘long-con’ is particularly heinous; other agencies refer to these scams as ‘pig
butchering’ because they are designed to drain you of all your resources,” said Special Agent in
Charge, Anthony Monaco, Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Major
Case Unit.
This type of hybrid scam is part of a new trend – the SSA “long-con,” where:
– Scammers develop confidence over time, often starting as some other scam, but passing
the target to an imposter SSA agent when the first scammer “discovers” a problem in the
target’s “SSA records.”
– Scammers often have detailed information on their targets, who are typically of Social
Security retirement age. This generates further confidence in the credibility of the scam and
scammer.
– The scam often ends with an in-person meeting with an individual either who is either part of
the scheme or an unsuspecting participant, such as an Uber driver, during which the target
turns over gold, cash, a crypto wallet, or some other currency for “safe keeping,” at the
direction of an imposter SSA OIG federal agent.
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