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Kentuckians Warned to Avoid Giving Social Security Numbers Over the Phone

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The Office of the Kentucky Attorney General is warning residents to avoid falling victim to a scam involving their Social Security numbers.

The AG’s office says they’ve received reports of a phone scam featuring con artists who claim to be with the Social Security Administration. The caller ironically tells the would-be victim that his or her Social Security Number has been stolen and that a new one needs to be issued.

The scammer then tries to get that person to disclose their Social Security number over the phone. AJefferson County victim was recently tricked into giving up their number and paying a fee to purportedly receive a new Social Security card.

The Attorney General’s Office of Senior Protection and Mediation says con artists often use official-sounding titles and organizations to make you trust them.

Scammers claiming they’re federal agents are also using internet technology to make it appear that they’re calling from Washington DC, when they could actually be calling from anywhere in the world.

Kevin is the News Director at WKU Public Radio. He has been with the station since 1999, and was previously the Assistant News Director, and also served as local host of Morning Edition.
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