Scam involving Social Security, bank account numbers emerges locally

Some quick thinking and an all-too-necessary skepticism in today's world kept Waukon resident Pat Pettingill from what could have been a very costly mistake when her telephone rang several weeks ago.
Pettingill, age 81, received that phone call in mid-July from what she described as a "very foreign-speaking" individual who claimed to be with the Social Security Administration. The man said he needed Pettingill to verify her Social Security number and checking account number with him, or else she would be in danger of not being able to receive her monthly Social Security benefits.
While Pettingill was skeptical that Social Security would be making such a phone call, much less such a request, the mention of losing her Social Security benefits caught her attention, as it would any such benefit recipient. "That's why I want to share my story," she said. "There are people out there who depend on that Social Security check every month to live, so when someone is telling them they will lose those benefits if they don't verify the information they need, they might just fall into that trap and give them exactly what they need."
While still leery based on past experience with Social Security, Pettingill was even more surprised with the amount of personal information the caller already had about her, including her Social Security number and even her mother's maiden name, a common safeguard used in financial and other personal business dealings. "I knew it took something like an act of Congress to get a new Social Security card, so I knew something wasn't right about this phone call from so-called Social Security," she shared, but then admitted. "But I couldn't believe he had that much information about me already, it made me very paranoid."
Pettingill said the man spoke very officially, repeating several times that he was not asking her to give him any of her bank account information, simply to verify the information he had on file and was going to recite to her over the telephone. The trigger for Pettingill was when the caller started to read off what he had for her bank account number. "The numbers weren't right at all," she said. "And I knew then that this was just a hoax, so I finally just hung up on him."

NOT TAKING THE BAIT
What Pettingill didn't fall for was the clinching factor in getting away with the crime trying to be committed. Knowing full well the bank account number he had was incorrect, the caller was hoping that Pettingill would correct his error and recite her actual bank account number, giving him the final piece of his troublesome puzzle that would allow him to tap into Pettingill's account.
Pettingill said that as soon as she hung up with the caller, she placed calls to her local bank, the Allamakee County Sheriff's Office, and the Social Security Administration to report what had happened and to seek advice on what to do next. "They were all so very helpful and said I had done the right thing by not giving out that final bit of information," she said.
Despite noting the telephone number the call had come from, Pettingill was advised that it was most likely a cell phone number that was untraceable, or even a number outside of the country. She was also advised to keep a close watch on her financial matters following the phone call, something she has done on nearly a daily basis since with phone calls to Farmers & Merchants Savings Bank in Waukon.

HELP FROM HER BANK
Adam Delphey, Assistant Vice President at Farmers & Merchants Savings Bank, was one of the bank's employees who originally worked with Pettingill to make sure her accounts with the bank had no strange charges or withdrawals following the telephone call she received. Delphey explained that this sort of scam has emerged with greater frequency within the past few weeks and doesn't necessarily involve just the Social Security Administration.
"There are a number of different scams out there, this just seems to be a different variation," he said. "This type has involved not only Social Security, but also a company called YR Benefits, which is a legitimate company. The callers are purporting to be employees of this company, and they are using YR Benefits as a catalyst to gather the information they need."
Delphey detailed that the YR Benefits company name appears to be interrelated with the same scam Pettingill was approached with, as the electronic checks presented to customer bank accounts after they divulge their bank account number to the fraudulent caller are payable to YR Benefits and typically post to the account within several days following the scamming phone call. He says the legitimate YR Benefits company has posted a fraud notice on its website regarding this issue at www.yrbenefits.com/essenroll.asp.
Delphey further explained that quite often, just like in Pettingill's case, these callers already have other pieces of personal information that make them sound so convincing, information they can retrieve from public records or from online sources. He said the bank account information always seems to be the final piece of the puzzle needed to pull off the crime, and advises people to never give out bank account or other personal information to anyone who calls asking for such information, or even just to verify it.
"Never divulge bank information over the telephone, especially to someone you don't know," Delphey warns. "Be diligent in protecting your personal information, and always question anything that seems out of place with your bank account."

ADVICE FROM SOCIAL SECURITY
Similar advice comes from the Social Security Administration. "As the use of the Social Security number as an identifier has grown, there has also been a dramatic increase in its misuse," said Jewell Colbert, Regional Communications Director for the Social Security Administration's Kansas City Region. "You should always safeguard your personal information, such as date of birth, mother’s maiden name, and your Social Security number, because it is that type of information identity thieves are after."
And with increasing technology providing more and more avenues for conducting personal business, those looking to wrongly benefit from that same technology also have increased means to do so.
"Scam artists have become tricky," Colbert warns. "Never reply to an e-mail or provide information over the phone from people claiming to be from Social Security and asking for your Social Security number or personal information."
Colbert advises that if someone has misused a person’s Social Security number or other personal information to create credit or other problems, Social Security cannot resolve these problems. If a person finds themselves victimized by an identity thief or any other scam involving their Social Security number, the Social Security Administration advises that person to take the following five steps:
Step 1: Place a fraud alert on their credit file by contacting one of the following three companies specializing in credit reporting:
•    Equifax - 1-800-525-6285
• Trans Union - 1-800-680-7289
• Experian - 1-888-397-3742.
Whichever company is contacted is required to contact the other two, which will then place an alert on their versions of the report as well.
Step 2:  Review credit report inquiries from companies that have not been personally contacted; accounts not personally opened; and debts on accounts that cannot be explained.
Step 3: Close any accounts known, or believed, to have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
Step 4: File a report with local law enforcement or law enforcement in the community where the identity theft took place.
Step 5: File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission online at www.ftc.gov or by calling 1-877-438-4338.
"Everyone needs to be careful when sharing your personal information, even when you are asked for it," Colbert advises. "You can always ask why your number is needed, how it will be used and what will happen if you refuse."
Asking questions, staying informed and being protective of her personal information are exactly what may just have saved Pettingill's life... savings.