Avoid Scams! Join the FTC and SSA During National Consumer Protection Week
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: November 2, 2023
Want to protect yourself from identity theft and scams? Learn how during National Consumer Protection Week, the first week of March. This year, we at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have joined with Social Security to help protect you.
What’s the latest? Government imposter scams were the number one fraud reported to our Consumer Sentinel Network in 2019, with Social Security imposters leading the way. There were 166,190 reports about Social Security scams, with people reporting individual losses of about $1,500.
If you haven’t received one of these calls yet, here’s what the scam sounds like. Someone pretends to be a caller from Social Security. Caller ID may even display a Social Security office number. Sometimes the caller says your Social Security number has been suspended and you need to pay a fee to reactivate it. The caller may even say your Social Security number has been linked with a crime, and you need to take immediate steps to avoid being arrested or to protect the money in your bank account. Either way, when the person asks, do not provide your Social Security number. You also should not buy gift cards (and read them the number) or wire money.
How can you protect yourself from Social Security fraud? Here are some things to keep in mind:
- Your Social Security number is not about to be suspended. You don’t have to verify your number to anyone who calls you out of the blue.
- Social Security will never tell you to put money on gift cards, wire money, or send cash. Anyone who tells you to do those things is a scammer.
- Don’t trust caller ID. Scammers can make it look like they’re calling from anywhere – even a real Social Security phone number.
If you get one of these calls, hang up! Do not provide any personal information or comply with any request for payment.
Want to learn more about how to protect yourself from Social Security imposter scams? Join us March 5 at 7:00 p.m. ET for a Facebook Live with Social Security. I’ll join Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for Social Security, to talk about how you can protect yourself and your loved ones from imposter scams.
If you already received one of these calls, please report it to the Federal Trade Commission. If it’s a Social Security imposter, please also report it to Social Security’s Office of Inspector General. If you gave your Social Security number to a scammer and are worried about identity theft, visit our Social Security Identity Theft website for what steps you can take toward recovery.
In the spirit of National Consumer Protection Week, please pass along these tips to friends and family – help them avoid scams, too.
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About the Author
Monica Vaca, Associate Director for the Division of Consumer Response and Operations, Federal Trade Commission
Monica Vaca is Associate Director for the Division of Consumer Response and Operations in the Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. The Division hears from consumers across the country about problems they experience in the marketplace, manages and provides law enforcement access to the Consumer Sentinel Network, and delivers refunds to consumers resulting from FTC law enforcement actions. Between 2002 and 2016, Ms. Vaca litigated or supervised litigation against companies and individuals the FTC charged with engaging in fraudulent or deceptive practices. In 2011, Ms. Vaca was honored to receive the Wasserstein Fellowship from Harvard Law School’s Office of Public Interest Advising. Ms. Vaca began her career by clerking for the Honorable John F. Grady in the Northern District of Illinois, and later, by serving as an Equal Justice Fellow at the Legal Assistance Foundation of Chicago. She is a graduate of Northwestern University School of Law (cum laude, Order of the Coif) and the University of Virginia.
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Shanu
I was abot to fall on such a scam. Thank God for this timely read.
Thanks for such an informative read.
Shanu
Chau P.
Hello, i received an email from Social Security Administration office a few days ago asking me to review my Social Security Account and i just did today.
When i open the account they prompt me to open an account or Create an ID Me. I was first hesitate it but went ahead giving them the photos of driver license and passport. They will have someone like a referee to call me.
Now i am scared and thinking of ID Me is a scam?
Please help, is it ID Me legit and associate with SSA?
My email is joannephan65@gmail.com
Phone number is 714-448-6399
Thanks for your reply.
V.V.
Hi Chau, thanks for using our blog. You absolutely can use ID.me, our federated partner, which is a Single Sign-On provider that meets the U.S. government’s most rigorous requirements for online identity proofing and authentication We hope this helps!
william p.
hi i am reporting an attempted scam number for social security . the number is 702-597-1770 they tried to get my personal id but i hung up my email is williamjp1952@aol.com i hope you can catch them
V.V.
Thanks for letting us know, William. Generally, we will only contact you if you have requested a call or have ongoing business with us. Recently, scams—misleading victims into making cash or gift card payments to avoid arrest for Social Security number problems—have skyrocketed. Our employees will never threaten you for information or promise a benefit in exchange for personal information or money.
If you receive a suspicious call like this: 1) Hang up. 2) Do not provide personal information, money, or retail gift cards. 3) Report suspicious calls here. For more information on how to protect yourself, check out our Frequently Asked Questions. We hope this helps.
Roy J.
I desire to report a scam call regarding my social security. I can’t find the website to report it. It happened about 3:30 PM. A recorded message said that the social security had issued an arrest warrant for fraudulent activity on my swocial security account. The call number to me was 805-4523522.
V.V.
Thanks for letting us know, Roy. Generally, we will only contact you if you have requested a call or have ongoing business with us. Recently, scams—misleading victims into making cash or gift card payments to avoid arrest for Social Security number problems—have skyrocketed. Our employees will never threaten you for information or promise a benefit in exchange for personal information or money.
If you receive a suspicious call like this: 1) Hang up. 2) Do not provide personal information, money, or retail gift cards. 3) Report suspicious calls here. For more information on how to protect yourself, check out our Frequently Asked Questions. We hope this helps.