Frauds & Scams

Don’t Be a Scam Victim—You’re in Control

May 16, 2016 • By

Reading Time: 2 Minutes

Last Updated: June 30, 2021

IRSWith the tax season wrapping up, scammers are out in full force. Perhaps you received a phone call demanding payment from the IRS. They may threaten you with legal action if you do not pay immediately, or say things like, “we are sending the police to arrest you.” While these calls may seem scary, it is important to understand that they are not legitimate. This scam, which started in October 2013, has claimed over $29 million from its victims. Unfortunately, this is just one of many scams designed to make you believe you are speaking with a legitimate government official.

Scammers use many tactics in an attempt to force victims to give out information, and sometimes money, via telephone or email. In Social Security related scams, they often call under a guise of helping you complete a disability application, asking you for your Social Security number or banking information.

Whether they are with Social Security or the IRS, a government employee will never do some things as part of official agency business, including:

  • Call you to demand an immediate payment.
  • Demand that you pay a debt without the ability to appeal the amount you owe.
  • Require a specific means of payment, such as requiring you to pay with a prepaid debit card.
  • Ask you for your personal information or credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
  • Threaten you with arrest or deportation.

Any legitimate request from a government agency will come to you in writing. Additionally, if you do receive a call from a government official, they will be able to provide you with a telephone number and extension. If you receive one of these scam calls or emails, do not provide them with any information. You should:

  • Hang up immediately.
  • For Social Security impersonations, contact Social Security’s Office of Inspector General at https://oig.ssa.gov/report.
  • For IRS impersonations, contact the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at www.treasury.gov/tigta, using the “IRS Impersonation Scam Reporting” page.
  • Contact the Federal Trade Commission on FTC.gov.

If you are attempting to conduct business with any government agency, or you have received a notice from such an agency, please utilize the telephone numbers provided in the notification. Additionally, you can find contact information on any .gov website such as ssa.gov or irs.gov.

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About the Author

Doug Walker, Deputy Commissioner, Communications

Deputy Commissioner, Office of Communications

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Comments

  1. S. W.

    I’d like to report calls from the following numbers to request my Social Security information:

    916-598-8623
    575-891-7847

    I did not respond or provide any information to the individuals!

  2. Cynthia

    We were taken by a fake small business Grant November 2017. By January 2018 the total damage was $47,000 on our credit cards! We lost one account but it could’ve been worse. Or GOOD credit has been a struggle for almost one year now.
    I know better but didn’t report to the FTC. Depression hit and focus on keeping payments up has been Priority.
    Our FICO is almost 100 points less!
    Is it too late to report? It’s NEVER too late to help others, mostly

  3. David J.

    I received two calls today regarding fraud on my ss number. didn’t answer just said if I don’t call back actions will be taken against me. There number is 207-807-8033 mine is 941 251 6624 thank you David Jolly

  4. Lee L.

    Today I received a call which I didn’t answer, they left a message stating I was to call them right away as they are filing fraud charges if I don’t. I waited for over an hour to talk to ss. I ended up hanging up. The wait time is horrible.

    • Ray F.

      We apologize for the long wait, Lee. We may have been experiencing higher than normal call volume. Representatives at our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), are available between Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.. You will generally have a shorter wait time if you call later during the day or later in the week.
      If a person receives a suspicious call from someone alleging to be from SSA, citizens may -also- report that information to the OIG at 1-800-269-0271 or online via https://oig.ssa.gov/report. Thanks!

  5. Kym S.

    A phone # from kileen Texas 254 213 5718 continuios calls threatening legal action about frad with your ss # when told don’t believe your ss they say don’t ever call this # when they in fact keep calling me. Had a person they were from local sherriff office answer and identify themselves selves as such they hung up. They are clearly from a foreign country as they barely speak english.

  6. alex

    I mam reporting a scam.

    • Vonda V.

      Hi Alex. Thank you for helping us fight fraud. We take allegations of fraud very seriously. If you suspect fraud, waste or abuse of Social Security benefits, we encourage you to report it.

  7. Linda S.

    I filled out a form by what looked to be reputable from one of my credit cards It said information needed to be refreshed SS number was given. Today there is a $1,000+ purchase I didn’t make. And my credit card information is “out there.” I’m terrifired.

    I have reported to the consumer.ftc.gov What else needs to be done?

  8. SHEILLA K.

    Lonnie JACKSON, ADA JEAN GREY CARTWRIGHTS, FREEMEN, LAWRENCE FREEMEN, ANNA MINDLER STATES PAYNE, CHEROLETE JACKSON RICHIE, MR MONHU, SYPHONY T TERREL, IDELLA NALLIE WICKS MOORE POLLARD, MR LOWAT, SUE BROWN, DARNELL JOHNSON, (VIVIAN MONHU, MIYA HOSIE, LSVETN HOSIE. OLD FUR COST), MAKERS OBAMA,? BRRACK OBAMA? SCAM! $ , WALLER S. MSNCEIL BROWN BEATRICE BROWN, …..LOTTIE CLAY……, @ .THEFT.

  9. Tony L.

    I received a call from someone wanting my medicare number when I said I did not give out that imformation they hung up. They said they needed it to send me a new medicare card. There phone number is 214-946-8616

  10. Krista

    I did not receive any scam calls until today. I would like to tell thank you to social security administration of U.S.

Comments are closed.