WACO, Texas(KXXV) — Scammers are targeting Central Texas residents with fake Social Security Administration emails, prompting warnings from local experts about protecting personal information.
25 News started investigating this scam after members of our sales team received suspicious emails last month, claiming there were potential errors in their Social Security earnings reports.
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The fraudulent messages state that recipients will no longer receive Social Security statements in the mail and ask them to download their "personal file" – a tactic designed to steal sensitive information.
"By getting your personal information, think about all the things they can do with that, right? So they can solicit a credit card, you know, on your name, get a PO box, you know, somewhere where they live, and then use that credit card number to essentially buy whatever they want to buy, right," said Dr. Alex Del Carmen, a retired Tarleton State professor and criminologist.
Waco resident Kathie Gray, who will turn 83 next week, said she and her husband have encountered multiple scam attempts over the years.
"Saying you purchased this item and we need to get verification that you are this person and I didn't, I said I didn't buy that item or whatever and sometimes businesses, they'll pretend to be a business and then they try to, you know, get your information," Gray said.
Del Carmen recommends checking the return address before responding to any suspicious emails.
"Then look at the return address. That to me is like the biggest clue. When you look at the return address of where it's coming from and then you Google that return address before you reply to the email and you'll see how everyone else has reported that individual or that entity as a scam artist," Del Carmen said.
Del Carmen advises reporting suspicious messages to your phone provider or local authorities.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
