Ask The Answer Person: "What do you know about this scam?"

Posted: Wed, Nov 18, 2020 11:07 AM

(One of our decorahnews.com readers e-mailed us: "Today was the second day in a row I got a call from the "social security administration" warning me that my Social Security number has been used by somebody else and I needed to contact them right away! The caller ID that came up on my phone was Aase Haugen! Don't know how they do this, but they do.")

Winneshiek County Sheriff Dan Marx says: "This Social Security scam is a common one we have seen. The scammers are 'spoofing' the number. This is a common practice they use and sadly we see it quite regularly. We have even had our Sheriff's Office number spoofed by scammers. Unfortunately, they are using technology to make these appear more believable. Scams are more rampant than ever, and a variety of schemes are being used by these criminals. Please remind people to never give out any personal information over the phone."

Decorah Police Chief Dave Smutzler says: "We also remind people that agencies such as ours, Social Security, or banking; will not call you up asking for personal information or use 'shock terms' such as arrest, immediate suspension of your benefits, etc."