Beware of Scammers Pretending to be Social Security
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: August 19, 2021
In the digital age, frauds and scams are an unfortunate part of doing business online. During the holiday season, Social Security has traditionally seen a spike in phishing scams, and we want to protect you as best we can.
We urge you to always be cautious and to avoid providing sensitive information such as your Social Security Number (SSN) or bank account information to unknown individuals over the phone or internet. If you receive a call and aren’t expecting one, you must be extra careful. You can always get the caller’s information, hang up, and — if you do need more clarification — contact the official phone number of the business or agency that the caller claims to represent. Never reveal personal data to a stranger who called you.
Please take note; there’s a scam going around right now. You might receive a call from someone claiming to be from Social Security or another agency. Calls can even display the 1-800-772-1213, Social Security’s national customer service number, as the incoming number on your caller ID. In some cases, the caller states that Social Security does not have all of your personal information, such as your Social Security number (SSN), on file. Other callers claim Social Security needs additional information so the agency can increase your benefit payment, or that Social Security will terminate your benefits if they do not confirm your information. This appears to be a widespread issue, as reports have come from people across the country. These calls are not from Social Security.
Callers sometimes state that your Social Security number is at risk of being deactivated or deleted. The caller then asks you to provide a phone number to resolve the issue. People should be aware the scheme’s details may vary; however, you should avoid engaging with the caller or calling the number provided, as the caller might attempt to acquire personal information.
Social Security employees occasionally contact people by telephone for customer-service purposes. In only a few special situations, such as when you have business pending with us, a Social Security employee may request the person confirm personal information over the phone.
Social Security employees will never threaten you or promise a Social Security benefit approval or increase in exchange for information. In those cases, the call is fraudulent, and you should just hang up. If you receive these calls, please report the information to the Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-269-0271 or online.
Remember, only call official phone numbers and use secured websites of the agencies and businesses you know are correct. Protecting your information is an important part of Social Security’s mission to secure today and tomorrow.
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About the Author
Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications
Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications
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Roy W.
Received a scam call just as described in the SSA website regarding “Beware of scammers”. This one was from HoustonTX and the number was 281-448-8427
Prefer A.
I received a telephone message, with a man’s voice stating:
“This call is from the Department of Social Security Administration. We have uncovered suspicious activity on your account. We are suspending your Social Security #. Press #1 to know about this case.”
My Caller I.D. showed the name of Rick Elton, with the telephone number of 512-234-4718. I believe this is a scam.
Karine C.
I just got a call from 877 480 484 9 stating my social security number has been compromised but when I call it back it says it’s a local Social Security office so somebody has breached the phone number please assist immediately
A.C.
Hi, Karine. Thanks for checking in with us. Keep in mind we do not usually make random calls. If anyone receives calls saying that they are from Social Security, do not give out any personal information. Suspicious calls should be reported to the Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-269-0271 or online. You can also report these scams to the Federal Trade Commission through a new site specific to Social Security scams, here. You can find additional information here. We hope this helps.
James N.
Robo call pretending to be from SSA with caller ID 1-888-810-#### that my social security number has been suspended I kept ignoring until I really waited for prompt ‘press 1 to continue’ I pressed 1, kinda funny a guy with foreign accent, “this is social security administration, how can I help you?” I paused, toota deep breath and asked, “ are you sure you’re at social security administration?” The guy hanged up, ha-ha-hah.
A.C.
Thanks for letting us know, James. Suspicious calls should be reported to the Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-269-0271 or online. You can also report these scams to the Federal Trade Commission through a new site specific to Social Security scams, here. You can find additional information here. We hope this helps.
Viki
I received a call today April 9 2019 , from 18004803292 at 12.31 pm , telling me it is Social security and my SS number would be suspended if I did not speak with the person who comes to line,if I press 1. It was scary. I just hung up.
A.C.
Hi, Viki. Thanks for checking in with us. We do not usually make random calls. If anyone receives calls saying that they are from Social Security, do not give out any personal information. Suspicious calls should be reported to the Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-269-0271 or online. You can also report these scams to the Federal Trade Commission through a new site specific to Social Security scams, here. Thanks, again.
Kevin H.
I’m currently being robocalled from various 206-464-XXXX numbers. First clue that it is probably fraudulent: bad grammar in the messages they leave
Barbara S.
I am reporting a scam call about my social security account from tel. #
916 295-1845 at 11;30 on April 8, 2019.
Thanks
A.C.
Hi, Barbara. Thanks for checking in with us. We do not usually make random calls. If anyone receives calls saying that they are from Social Security, do not give out any personal information. Suspicious calls should be reported to the Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-269-0271 or online. You can also report these scams to the Federal Trade Commission through a new site specific to Social Security scams, here. You can find additional information here. We hope this helps.
George P.
What do you do if you gave them your social security and information bit whem asked to fill out a form hung up??
V.V.
Hi George. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) created a Self-Lock process. Locking an SSN helps stop individuals from using stolen SSNs to gain work authorization through E-Verify. Read more at https://www.uscis.gov/mye-verify/self-lock.
To learn more about the steps individuals can take to prevent or resolve issues of identity theft, read our publication: “Identity Theft and Your Social Security Number”.
Maria C.
Please help! I just helped my fiancé put in all his sensitive information onto a website that I thought was social security. When I went to submit, up came a place to put on credit card information. That’s when I realized it wasn’t the actual social security office. When I clicked the back button, it brought me to the beginning of the website, not to where I filled everything on. So I wasn’t able to erase anything. We’re both freaking out right now. What do I do? The name of the online company is
Maria C.
Please help! I just helped my fiancé put in all his sensitive information onto a website that I thought was social security. When I went to submit, up came a place to put on credit card information. That’s when I realized it wasn’t the actual social security office. When I clicked the back button, it brought me to the beginning of the website, not to where I filled everything on. So I wasn’t able to erase anything. We’re both freaking out right now. What do I do? The name of the online company is social security filer.com and there’s no contact info. Please help!