Latest Social Security Scam To Steal Retirees’ Information Involves Faux Teamup of Joe Biden and Snoop Dogg — No, Really
Written by
Vance Cariaga
Edited by
Daria Uhlig
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You’d be hard pressed to find two people with less in common than President Joe Biden and Snoop Dogg, considering that one is an 81-year-old career politician and the other is a 52-year-old rapper almost as famous for his love of cannabis as his music. So when the unlikely duo appear to be working together on ads promising perks for Social Security recipients, you can be pretty sure something is amiss.
That appears to be the case. As Newsweek reported this week, the latest scam targeting seniors involves Biden and Snoop Dogg partnering up to promote a $6,400 “spending card subsidy” for Social Security recipients. Several of the ads reportedly have shown up on TikTok as a way to steal personal information from unsuspecting Americans.
Why scams targeting U.S. seniors would pop up on TikTok is anybody’s guess — the Chinese social medial platform is not exactly renowned for catering to older folks. And this is where things get a little confusing.
According to Newsweek, Snoop Dogg “was said to have been seen in 2019 campaign videos saying, ‘If you owe $10,000 on your credit card, look, you can qualify for a program and get thousands of your dollars back by making a 15-minute phone call.'”
But then the Newsweek article suddenly veers from TikTok to Facebook, where Biden is seen in a video saying the following: “The U.S. is sending everyone a free $6,400 right now. You get this payout in under 48 hours and it’s completely free. Hit that ATM up, get that car you want, take your wifey on a shopping spree or just save it.”
Your first clue that the ad could be a scam is the president’s use of the terms “hit that ATM up” and “wifey.” In any case, those who click on the accompanying link are asked to share personal information that could let scammers steal your identity and money.
The disturbing part is that many people might fall for the scams because they became accustomed to government-sponsored stimulus programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“One thing that makes scams like this seem more plausible to victims is the fact that we are coming off an unprecedented period during the pandemic in which the government created novel ways to get money into people’s hands,” Troy Janes, an accounting professor at Purdue University, told Newsweek. “That may make people less suspicious when seeing this offer.”
Social Security scams have become more widespread in recent years as more fraudsters seek out targets on social media and make use of increasingly sophisticated technologies. In 2022, the total number of fraud complaints received from seniors was 88,262, according to the FBI’s Elder Fraud Report. Total losses of $3.1 billion were reported — a whopping 84% increase from the previous year. The average loss per victim was $35,101, and 5,456 victims lost more than $100,000.
“[Seniors] are prime targets as they typically have some form of accumulated savings or retirement and they tend to be less technologically savvy,” David Derigiotis, an author and chief insurance officer for Embroker, told Newsweek. “Verifying the legitimacy of communications from federal programs, such as Social Security, is crucial to avoid falling for a scam.”
Your best bet is to ignore ads promoting extra Social Security benefits. To learn more about Social Security fraud and who to contact, visit this Social Security Administration site.
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