(upbeat intro music)
-: Important government programs designed to help citizens
can backfire when scammers get involved.
The federal government
offers the following warnings to protect consumers.
Government agencies will generally not call
or contact you in other ways
with offers to help you get your benefits.
Agencies will not contact you
demanding payments for services in cash,
with gift cards or via wire transfers.
They will not contact you
asking for bank or credit card information,
your Social Security or driver's license numbers,
or your Medicare identification.
To trick you, people who contact you
might use official sounding titles,
spoof telephone numbers
to look like they're coming from an official agency,
or use official looking graphics in fake emails.
While there are some exceptions,
federal agencies generally will only contact you
if you have requested to be contacted,
or have ongoing business with them.
If you have not first contacted an agency,
but receive offers for government services
or requests for personal information, do not respond.
That means hang up the phone,
and don't click on links,
or download files in unsolicited emails or texts.
If you think there could be a valid reason
for contact to be made, visit an agency's official website,
or look up an official telephone number
and initiate contact in a manner they suggest,
explaining why you are contacting them.
While it's important to receive the benefits coming to you,
don't fall for tricks that scammers use.
Take the time to think before you act.