RUTHERFORD COUNTY, Tenn. (WGNS News) - Unsolicited phone calls attempting to sign area residents up for Social Security Disability benefits are part of another scam currently targeting people in the Murfreesboro area. If you receive one of these calls, keep this in mind: The person on the other end of the line has no authority or special ability to fast-track you into receiving government-approved disability benefits, healthcare coverage or monthly payments.

Scams continue to grow in complexity, with some con-artists working to win over unsuspecting victims the old-fashioned way -- by using real people to call, strike up a conversation and gather valuable information in the process.

Social Security employees and contractors do not make unsolicited phone calls to “recruit” people to sign up for disability benefits - and they certainly don't coach callers on how to answer questions or make up stories about their work history to get the green light for benefits. Listen as one caller appears to do exactly that... WGNS changed the voice of the would-be victim to protect their identity, but left the scammer's voice untouched and intact.

Evidently, these callers work to make their targets believe they are part of an elaborate operation that knows the secret ingredients for navigating - or even skirting around the rules and regulations, all to ensure a monthly disability check from Uncle Sam. The con-man first verified this was the first time the conversation... Don't fall for cleverly worded or illegal tips on how to answer Social Security questions. It may all be a ploy to gather your personal information. Sadly, some victims fall for the con and eventually hand over valuable details about their bank accounts and more...

During the phone calls, the con artists switch the victim from one operator to another, creating an impression of legitimacy and purpose. They even ask whether the person has filed for benefits before and, if so, whether they used an attorney... But the swindlers don't always use the correct terminology or read the right lines, as heard during this call to a Murfreesboro man... Clearly, the unknown caller appears to be unfamiliar with how much disability benefits actually pay. The scammer wrongly suggested the victim could receive more than $206,000 each month.

The lead operator then jumps back onto the call before routing the potential victim to what is presented as a legal intake center... A new voice on the phone then attempts to convince the victim that they are now dealing with a legal team that can lead them toward a future filled with disability payments and benefits. To make everything appear even more legitimate, the legal intake worker conveniently asks many of the same questions the earlier operators had already coached the victim on how to answer... At that point, a victim who believes the process is legitimate may feel more comfortable and hand over even more personal information.

The next step in the con game may involve someone claiming to represent a law firm or attorney taking over the call. What follows can sound like a high-pressure sales pitch, complete with talk of legal representation, Social Security payments and even back pay the victim is supposedly owed... By the end of the conversation, the victim may have handed over a wealth of personal information, potentially including a Social Security number, banking information, date of birth and other identifying details.

• The Social Security Administration has Posted Multiple Scam Warnings HERE

MORE DETAILS: What the victim in the recorded phone call that WGNS posted may not realize is that a legitimate Social Security employee isn't simply waiting in the wings to join the other operators on the call. According to information from the Social Security Administration, people should be suspicious of unsolicited callers who claim they can guarantee approval, accelerate a disability claim or direct someone to provide false information as part of an application.

The operation can become even more convincing when victims are switched to another call center, where they continue to be pre-screened for possible Social Security benefits. The danger is that victims may believe each transfer brings them one step closer to a legitimate government agency or law firm. Instead, the information collected during the screening process could be used to determine whether the individual is a potential lead for further solicitation - or, in a fraudulent operation, provide criminals with increasingly valuable personal information.

And hanging up doesn't necessarily mean the calls will stop. The aggressive callers contacted the person heard in these recordings at least 15 times back-to-back, using a different phone number almost every time. Many of those numbers appeared to be local, potentially making the calls more likely to be answered. The repeated calls suggest the scammers believed they had someone hooked and weren't ready to give up. They even left several messages, with the final voicemail sounding noticeably more aggravated.