Snoop Dogg, Biden $6,400 Social Security Scam Warning

If you see President Joe Biden and Snoop Dogg arm to arm promising you free Social Security cash on TikTok, know it's a fraud.

That's the latest scam targeting seniors on Social Security, financial experts said. The scam alleges that Biden and Snoop Dogg partnered to offer a $6,400 spending card subsidy for those on Social Security. Several ads have popped up on TikTok as scammers attempt to steal personal information from unsuspecting Americans.

The rapper was said to have been seen in 2019 campaign videos saying: "If you owe $10,000 on your credit card, look, you can qualify for a program and get you thousands of your dollars back by making a 15-minute phone call."

Now the scam has a new twist: Biden is seen to be on board.

"The U.S. is sending everyone a free $6,400 right now," a Facebook video said. "You get this payout in under 48 hours and it's completely free. Hit that ATM up, get that car you want, take your wifey on a shopping spree or just save it."

However, action is the last thing consumers should do if they see this message pop up on their feed.

Those who click on the included link will not actually be talking to a U.S. government worker or get the extra cash. Instead, they'll likely be asked to share personal information that could allow the scammer to steal their identity or drain their bank accounts.

And because Americans are now used to free government money courtesy of the stimulus payments the U.S. gave out after the COVID-19 pandemic, they're more susceptible to such scams.

"One thing that makes scams like this seem more plausible to victims is the fact that we are coming off an unprecedented period during the pandemic in which the government created novel ways to get money into people's hands," Troy Janes, an accounting professor at Purdue University, told Newsweek. "That may make people less suspicious when seeing this offer."

How to Protect Yourself

Seniors are targets for scammers because they are often less equipped to recognize social media scams. Altogether, they lost $3.1 billion to scammers last year, according to the FBI's crime report.

"They are prime targets as they typically have some form of accumulated savings or retirement and they tend to be less technologically savvy," David Derigiotis, the chief insurance officer for Embroker and author of Parental Advisory: How to Protect Your Family in the Digital Age of Identity Theft & Data Breaches, told Newsweek. "Verifying the legitimacy of communications from federal programs, such as Social Security, is crucial to avoid falling for a scam."

Because the internet is already inundated with videos of public figures like Biden or Snoop Dogg, criminals have plenty of footage available to create compelling deep fakes. But the government will communicate only through official channels, meaning any type of promise like this is nearly automatically a scam, experts said.

If you see an offer like this, you should reach out to the government agency directly, and never share any of your personal information.

"Video and audio clips can be manipulated and used for any motive a scammer desires," Derigiotis said. "Be extremely critical of any promise offering something of value with strings attached, especially those circulating on social media platforms."