Billions of Gmail, Outlook, Android and iPhone users have issued a ‘government warning’ – check texts or risk losing your identity

SECURITY experts warn of government scams that could drain your bank account and steal your identity.

researchers at Trend Micro recently highlighted the growing problem on National Slam the Scam Day.

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This awareness day was created by the Office of the Inspector General of the Social Security Administration (SSA) to ring alarm bells about government scams.

A blog post by the SSA explained: “National Slam the Scam Day is an initiative launched in 2020 to raise public awareness of tackling Social Security-related fraud.

“Last year it expanded to include other fraudulent government scams as reported consumer losses in 2021 surged to more than $446 million.

“According to the Federal Trade Commission, reported losses for 2022 total nearly $509 million.”

The official Slam the Scam Day is March 9th, but you should be vigilant about this type of scam throughout the year.

Government scammers attempt to target victims via phone calls, email, and text messages.

Scammers pretend to be from a government organization and ask for important information like your social security number (SSN) or banking information.

The scam can take the form of a fake government job offer or a false promise of a relief check.

Sharing your SSN is very dangerous and can lead to identity theft.

A criminal could open a credit card in your name, steal your tax return, or seek medical attention while pretending to be you.

How to avoid scams by government scammers

Avoiding scams can be easy if you know what to look out for.

First, you should thoroughly check who sent the email.

Even if it looks official, double-check the email and look for any misspellings or slight anomalies in the sender’s email address.

Never feel pressured to open an attachment and avoid clicking on the phrase “activate content”.

You should also be careful with links in e-mails.

If you are sure an email you have received is a scam, delete it.

Remember to be extremely careful with your SSN number.

You should report government fraud to Federal Trade Commission.

SSN fraud can be reported to Social Security Administration.