The emails started rolling in to me around the same time the government started sending out coronavirus relief payments in April.
Some people had questions about the nuances of their tax situation or about navigating the IRS payment information site. Most of the people who emailed me just wanted to know where their money was, and when they could get it. Could I help them find it?
Then an alarming subset of emailers emerged: The people who somehow thought I was an IRS employee. How my Lifehacker email address floated out through the World Wide Web and somehow got attached to any inkling that I work for the IRS is beyond me. But the requests filed in. And many of them included information that could put the emailers’ identities at risk.
First it was the last four digits of someone’s Social Security number along with their full legal name. Then someone who had previously emailed me called me, leaving their full Social Security number on my voicemail. I’ve also received emails containing partial SSNs and mailing addresses, full SSNs, dates of birth... you name it, I’ve gotten it.
And it scared me. I’ve spent years writing about identity theft and phishing scams, but I am now seeing, with brutal clarity, how many people have missed all the warnings and tips that have been shared by myriad publications, government agencies and nonprofits.
Louder for the people in the back
So, I’m going to say it again, because it bears repeating over and over and over:
Don’t email your Social Security number to anyone. Ever. Don’t supply it to anyone who calls you out of the blue, who claims to have a good reason for needing it. Don’t even say it out loud if you can avoid it.
It’s too risky.
You may think you know and follow best practices for keeping your identity safe from scammers and thieves, but there’s a solid chance that someone you know doesn’t have a clue. Federal Trade Commission data revealed that last year alone, consumers made more than 3.2 million complaints to the agency, with more than 1.7 million of them concerning fraud attempts and more than 650,000 having to do with identity theft.
It can happen to a parent, a friend, someone your age, someone in a different age group. In fact, the age group most affected by monetary losses due to fraud is the 30-39 range. But the older victims are, the greater their monetary losses tend to be.
How to talk to your parents about scammers
While anyone can fall prey to a scammer or become a victim of identity theft through other channels, I’ve noticed it can be harder to have frank discussions about it with my elders—including the people who emailed me and identified themselves as retirees.
While I might feel comfortable frankly scolding a close friend about sharing their personal information, my parents or others with more life experience than I do might be offended or embarrassed by that tack.
So I reached out to Cameron Huddleston, the author of “Mom and Dad, We Need to Talk: How to Have Essential Conversations with Your Parents About Their Finances,” for advice for approaching this big, daunting topic.
While you might react to hearing about a scam attempt (or worse, a scam success) by saying, “Everyone knows that’s a scam!” Huddleston said that can alienate and embarrass your parents or older adults.
“One of the best ways to start talking to your parents about scams and identity theft is to use an example,” she said. “You could share an article you’ve read about a current scam or a report you heard on TV. Or you could tell your parents that you recently got a scam call and wanted to warn them to be on the lookout for similar calls.”
Instead of scolding or lecturing your family members, Huddleston recommended focusing on how clever scammers are, emphasizing that anyone can get duped and criminals are always finding new ways to fool people.
She also advised coaching your parents if they don’t feel comfortable simply hanging up or not answering the phone at all. “Instead, help them come up with a sentence they can use to end a call without feeling bad. For example, you could tell your parents to tell telemarketers and suspicious callers that they have a guest over and can’t talk now,” Huddleston suggested.
At the very least, remember this
Even people who are confident in their scam-detecting skills can get tricked by criminals. And sometimes, you let your guard down without thinking and find yourself in vulnerable circumstances—like my emailers.
Here’s the very least you need to remember to keep your identity safe. Learn it, live it, love it:
The IRS never calls asking for your Social Security number. The IRS rarely calls at all, and prefers snail mail.The Social Security Administration doesn’t call you asking for your number. They already have it.Never email sensitive personal information like your SSN or images of government documents (Social Security card, driver’s license, passport) unless that transmission will be encrypted. For example: Your doctor’s office ask you to upload a photo of your ID to their patient portal? That’s fine. But you shouldn’t just send them an email with the image attached.Don’t volunteer your SSN to anyone unless you’re absolutely sure they need it to provide the services you have requested. Don’t be afraid to ask if you can provide an alternate way to verify your identity.When in doubt, tell a caller you’ll dial your credit card issuer/bank/government agency directly before providing whatever personal information you’ve been asked for.Don’t click on links texted or emailed by people you don’t know, or from people claiming to be from government agencies.
