A scam IRS phone call that is making its way across Hudson Valley has police and the public wary.

People living in the area may have received a phone call in the past year that says, “We just suspended your Social Security numbers because we found some suspicious activity.”

Officials say don’t be fooled, though, since the calls are from scam artists who are pretending to work for the Social Security Administration.

Clarkstown police have stated they have received dozens of complaints from concerned residents about the scam. A recent fraud alert on its Facebook page got hundreds of comments and shares.

 

Authorities say criminals sometimes scare people into believing that their Social Security number has been compromised to get them to hand over money, often through gift cards.

Once the gift card is given over to the criminal, its account is drained.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, from April 2018 to May 2019, there were 76,000 reported cases of Social Security scams.

There are reported losses of $19 million, which is $2 million more in losses compared to the IRS scam that was popular in 2015-16.

Clarkstown police are urging people to be vigilant and use common sense.