Workers’ Compensation Facebook Scam Highlights The Real Way Workers’ Compensation Works In Decatur
For most people, hardly a few weeks can go by without there being some type of scam coming to them through their e-mail, phone, or social media accounts. Scammers pleading requests for money for imminently dangerous situations, seeking credit card information to renew phony subscriptions, and sending unsolicited invoices demanding payment “or else” are all internet and phone scams that most people are aware of, and avoid as a matter of routine. Some scams, however, seem very real. This can, unfortunately, happen when under the guise of real programs, such as government benefits programs or other programs that people have generally heard of, scammers use schemes to confuse and trick people into giving up valuable information and/or money. This exact scenario occurred over the last summer, when scammers entered the online social world of Facebook promising Facebook users large sums of purported “workers’ compensation” payouts.
According to a local news report, the Facebook workers’ compensation scam, which ran through June, 2022, and potentially beyond, starts with the scammer or scammers impersonating a Facebook user’s friend. The “friend” sends the target-user a message that proclaims that the friend saw the target-user’s name on a list of names of people who are owed worker’s compensation payments. The message then includes a phone number for the target-user to call in order to claim the phony workers’ compensation benefit payments. Since the message is a “wolf in sheep’s clothing”, the scam relies on the target-user to trust the content and call the number that is listed. The contact information is reported to be seemingly “official” with the contact being presented as a “Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board member” or a “Federal Treasury Reserve Official”, per the report. When the target-user calls the listed number, they are then asked to pay a “delivery fee” or “case file fee” in order to get their allegedly owed workers’ compensation money. The report notes that one victim was asked to pay fees such as “$600 for $50,000, $100 for $100,000, all the way up to $10,000 for $1 million….” Of course, once the target-user pays the money, the scammer disappears and none of the phony workers’ compensation benefits are paid to the target-user, nor are they paid any money at all.
The Truth About Applying for Decatur Workers’ Compensation Benefits
The truth is that workers’ compensation benefits are not paid out through Facebook, text, or other social media and communications scams. To initiate a claim for worker’s compensation benefits in Decatur, a worker must first be an employee of a company that falls under Decatur workers’ compensation laws, and must be injured and unable to work. The claims process is a complex one, and involves the employer’s insurance company, the Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation, medical professionals, and, if the injured worker has one, the injured workers’ lawyer. In sum, workers’ compensation benefits are not paid out over Facebook and workers should totally avoid online workers’ compensation scams through Facebook messenger and other social media communication tools.
Help with Your Decatur Workers’ Compensation Claim
If you are seeking workers’ compensation benefits in Decatur, contact the skilled and experienced Decatur workers’ compensation lawyers at the O’Connell Law Firm. We offer a free and confidential consultation to learn about your case and to see if they can help. Contact us today and speak to a lawyer about your case for free.
Source:
whnt.com/taking-action/bbb-consumer-alerts/what-to-do-if-your-facebook-friend-claims-youre-owed-workers-comp/
