{"id":49969,"date":"2020-02-19T10:03:06","date_gmt":"2020-02-19T15:03:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smart-union.org\/?p=49969"},"modified":"2020-02-19T10:03:06","modified_gmt":"2020-02-19T15:03:06","slug":"rrb-reminds-customers-to-avoid-scams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smart-union.org\/rrb-reminds-customers-to-avoid-scams\/","title":{"rendered":"RRB reminds customers to avoid scams","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) is reminding its customers to use caution and common sense to avoid being the victim of a telephone or email scam. Should there be some type of issue with an individual\u2019s account or benefits, the RRB will typically communicate with that person by sending a letter through the U.S. Postal Service. Such written notices contain contact information specific to each notice.
\nWith the dramatic increase in \u201crobocalls\u201d in which automated dialing systems can disguise their source or even impersonate other numbers on caller ID, the opportunities for fraud and identity theft increase. The danger is not limited to the telephone, as scammers also use email as a means of obtaining personal information or money from unsuspecting recipients, often by impersonating a government agency.
\nWhile the RRB may request certain personal information over the phone to verify a person\u2019s identity, RRB employees will never use threats to obtain information or demand payment in exchange for some official action. Similarly, they will not ask for a credit card number or demand payment in the form of cash, money orders or gift cards. Asking for these types of payment is typical of a fraud as these transactions are difficult to trace and often non-refundable.
\nIf anyone pressures you to provide information or money over the phone, assume the call is fraudulent and hang up.
\nIn addition to some of the previously described threats, emails often appear to be legitimate through use of seals or letterhead. And while misspellings or grammatical errors may indicate that an email is from a scammer, people should not assume that the lack of them makes an email legitimate.
\nThere are steps that individuals can take to protect their personal information from fraud. These include the following:<\/p>\n