Recently, there have been reports of a recorded message scam where someone poses as a representative of the Social Security Inspector General’s office and warns that benefits have been suspended. People who call the scammer back are told there is a warrant for their arrest and they should pay money to get it removed.
As disgusting as it may be to prey on the elderly in this way, it’s also a reminder of how many people don’t understand the role of an Inspector General’s office. Unfortunately, the reason that this scam is being attempted is because many people believe that it’s within an Inspector General Office’s job duties to call people and warn them of warrants out for their arrest. These same people are highly unlikely to understand how to report fraud they might suspect at their own local Social Security office.
Informing the public about the role of an IG can solve both of these problems; it can reduce the number of people who fall for scams like this one, and it can increase the number of good-quality tips an IG office receives from public sources. How can your agency help get the word out about their role? Here are two of our previous posts on how to do just that!
- Using Twitter to Communicate IG Results to the Public
- Improving Your OIG’s Results by Increasing External Engagement
Want to learn how CMTS can make it easier than ever to receive hotline tips from the public? Call us at 919-600-5102 and ask about our new Online Intake Service!