Be wary of letters from China about Social Security fraud
While we’re not certain who’s behind China’s fake news machine that’s been sweeping the globe, the truth is that internet users are starting to notice a scam aimed at America’s seniors…
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“When the friends of mine asked me if I’d fallen ill and need a prescription of medicine and they got such a letter from the doctor. As soon as I read, I knew what they were talking about,” 85-year-old Grace Helton, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, tells CBN News,
Helton is very concerned about her mother, who also received a letter promising a free prescription and a free service- possibly a bill — if they went through with the ruse.
“They had a practice number, telephone number, addresses… We were so surprised to see that there was a letter that was delivered to our mother, attached to an envelope, that we called them and said we didn’t receive it,” Helton said.
The doctors gave victims a number to call to straighten things out but they got no answers.
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“The doctors just couldn’t give us any right answers. So, what do you do? We gave it to my sister, she told me, ‘You should call police and the FBI,'” said victim Grace Johnston, also of Chattanooga.
Instead, the crooks allegedly wrote letters to the elderly homes claiming they have received “multiple calls from the Social Security Department or other IRS” and then threaten there’s a “DIFFERENT $500 THIS MONEY NOW WILL NOT BE GIVEN AND IF YOU ARE NOT THREATENED AND COUPLE YER FEES WE CAN GET YOU A GIFT CARD”.
They also wrote the seniors their Social Security Numbers, bank account numbers and personal home addresses. The letters tell the elderly to pay for their vitamins and other health services but then fail to provide them.
Be cautious, especially when you see this type of mail, caution the Better Business Bureau. Always double check numbers and seal the envelope. Contact the IRS if you need the information.
“When a consumer calls, they want this information and there is no specific contact number,” explains Tina Lemanski, senior director of national consumer issues for the BBB in Memphis.
Once the scam is finished, the crooks send the seniors and/or their families a piece of paper claiming they purchased the “withhold” order from China.
“It was embossed with the postal service insignia and it said it was issued by the Chinese government. So, they used a very sophisticated approach to scammers and it was very impressive,” says Lemanski.
