MARION, Ind. – The Marion Police Department has received several complaints involving scam phone calls in an attempt to obtain citizens personal information, including Social Security numbers. If you receive this type of call, you should not engage with the caller or provide personal information or money in response to requests or threats.
The Social Security Administration advises that scam callers may use a variety of false scenarios or threats to obtain personal information or payments, often requested through gift cards or prepaid debit cards.
The Social Security Administration typically does not contact the general public to request personal information over the phone. More importantly government employees will never threaten you to obtain personal information or payments. In those cases, the call is fraudulent and you should just hang up.
The Marion Police Department urges the public not to provide personal information over the phone or internet unless you are certain of who is receiving it. You should also never wire money or add money to a prepaid debit card to pay for any official government service.