On October 10, 2019 an elderly Harper Woods resident received (3) telephone calls from a scammer. The scammer told the resident that he owed money to Social Security. The scammer told the resident to purchase ebay cards then call him back once they were purchased. The resident advised the scammer that he was notifying the police. The scammer told the resident he would be arrested if the police were notified. The first two calls were from an out of state number beginning with a 951 area code. The third call was a spoof number (fake number). This spoof number on the third call was the actual non emergency contact number for the Harper Woods Department of Public Safety.
These scammers typically target elderly residents receiving Social Security benefits. The Social Security Administration (SSA) will NOT threaten your benefits, will NOT ask for cash, credit cards, or gift cards to be wired. NEVER give these scammers any of your personal information like your social security number, bank account numbers, or credit card numbers. NEVER give these scammers your address or confirm your address.
If you receive one of these calls please notify the police immediately. You can also report these scams to the Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-772-1213 or https://oig.ssa.gov/report.
If you are concerned about your social security benefits you can notify the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 and speak with an actual SSA agent.
Ted Stager
Deputy Chief
Harper Woods Department of Public Safety
313-343-2530
