Watch Out for Social Security "Phishing" Scam

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Mississippi is warning Mississippians about an email scam which purports to warn consumers about a Social Security benefit increase, but is really a "phishing" scam, which seeks confidential information from consumers which could be used in identity theft.

Consumers have called and emailed the BBB to notify us of the scam, titled, “Social Security Announces 3.3% Benefit Increase for 2007". One consumer from the Jackson area reported that her husband had received the email, which warned him to go to a special website to update his information by Nov. 11, or risk suspension of his Social Security account.

The Social Security Administration has issued a warning about this scam, which may be accessed at http://www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/pr/colaPhishingScam-pr.htm.

To avoid being a victim of phishing or other email scams, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Do not respond to any unsolicited or unexpected email.
• Do not click on any links in the email.
• The best thing to do is to hit the "delete" button immediately. If you have a spam or phishing filter on your email browser, make sure it is active and working.
• If any email or website asks you for personal information, do not respond, or enter any information.
• If the email appears to come from a legitimate source, and you have reason to believe it may be legitimate, call the company or agency and ask them if it is indeed legitimate.

To report receipt of this email message or other suspicious activity to Social Security’s Office of Inspector General, please call the OIG Hotline at 1-800-269-0271. (If you are deaf or hard of hearing, call the OIG TTY number at 1-866-501-2101). A Public Fraud Reporting form is also available online at OIG’s website http://www.socialsecurity.gov/oig/hotline/index.htm.

If Your Business Sends Commercial Faxes, Know the Rules

The Better Business Bureau reminds businesses that use the fax machine to advertise to check their compliance with new federal commercial fax rules, some of which took effect August 1, 2006.

In general, it is unlawful to send unsolicited fax advertisements (using a fax machine, computer or other device) to any business or place of residence without the recipient’s prior express permission (received in writing or orally). Specifically, a business is permitted to send unsolicited fax ads only if (1) it has an established business relationship with the recipient, who voluntarily provided their fax number and (2) the first page of the fax transmission contains information on how recipients can “opt out” of future unsolicited fax ads.

An established business relationship means the relationship was formed by a voluntary two-way communication between the recipient and sender on the basis of a purchase, transaction, inquiry or application regarding products or services offered by the sender. The relationship has to be one that was not previously terminated by either party.

The opt-out notice must appear on the first page of the fax transmission (at either the top or bottom), present “clear and conspicuous” information on how to opt out of future faxed ads, and provide a cost-free opt-out mechanism that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Cost-free mechanisms can include a toll-free telephone or fax number, e-mail address, Web site, or a telephone or fax number that is local for the recipient.

The opt-out notice must state that the recipient can request that the sender not send any future faxes and that failure to comply with the request within 30 days is unlawful. In addition to the opt-out notice, every unsolicited fax must include the date and time of transmission and the registered name and phone number of the company sending the fax.

Be aware that in-state commercial faxes are still governed by state statutes, many of which do not exempt faxes sent to recipients who have an existing business relationship with the sender. Make sure your business is adhering to any pertinent state rules.

BBBs remind businesses who send fax ads to make sure fax and telephone opt-out lines are properly staffed and to honor opt-out requests within the 30-day window. More detailed information on commercial fax requirements is available on the Direct Marketing Association’s Web site (http://www.the-dma.org/).