What is “Slam the Scam?”
What is “Slam the Scam?”On March 5th, 2026 the Social Security Administration (SSA) and its Office of the Inspector General (OIG) will once again partner for their annual Slam the Scam Day. The importance of Slam the Scam Day is to raise awareness regarding government impostor scams. Government impostor scammers will contact you pretending to work for a federal agency in order to get money or valuable personal information from you.
Unfortunately, government impostor frauds aren’t the only tactics out there, so it is key to know the warning signs of a scam. Other common swindles can come from individuals pretending to be from medical carriers, cellular providers, delivery services … the list goes on.
In their announcement for this year’s Slam the Scam, the Inspector General for the SSA noted, “In 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported that consumers lost over $10 billion to scams; and of that $617.9 million to government imposter scams. SSA is still the top government agency targeted by scammers. As of November 2024, government imposter scam losses for 2024 exceeded $577 million, indicating that the scammers are still succeeding in their ruses.”i
How Do I Protect Myself from Scams?
So, how can you protect yourself and your loved ones from being a victim of a scam? What we are learning about these attacks is that fraudsters will typically use these P’s – Pretend, Prize or Problem, Pressure, and Payment. With that in mind, here are the four basic signs of a scam that you should watch out for:
- Scammers pretend to be from an agency or organization you know to gain your trust.
- Scammers say there is a problem or a prize.
- Scammers pressure you to act immediately.
- Scammers tell you to pay in a specific way.ii
Participate in this year's Slam the Scam by educating yourself and those around you. Learning how to spot scams, identifying red flags, and reporting suspicious activity can help you avoid becoming a victim and making costly mistakes.
More Resources
If you’re ready to do more in the fight against scams, here are some resources direct from the Social Security Administration to help you stay aware:
Ihttps://oig.ssa.gov/news-releases/2025-02-13-scammers-won%E2%80%99t-let-up-neither-will-we/