Frauds & Scams, Guest Bloggers

Inspector General Warns Public about Phone Calls from OIG “Imposters”

March 6, 2017 • By

Reading Time: 2 Minutes

Last Updated: August 19, 2021

woman looking at cell phone The Acting Inspector General of Social Security, Gale Stallworth Stone, is warning citizens about a nationwide telephone “imposter phishing” scheme. The Social Security Administration (SSA) and its Office of the Inspector General (OIG) have received several reports from citizens across the country about persons receiving phone calls from individuals posing as OIG investigators. The caller indicates an issue exists pertaining to the person’s Social Security account or Social Security number (SSN) and directs the person call a non-SSA telephone number to address the issue.

The reports indicate the calls include a recording from a caller stating she is “Nancy Jones,” an “officer with the Inspector General of Social Security.” The recording goes on to say the person’s Social Security account, SSN, and/or benefits are suspended, and that he or she should call 806-680-2373 to resolve the issue. Citizens should be aware that the scheme’s details may vary; however, citizens should avoid calling the number provided, as the unknown caller might attempt to acquire personal information.

OIG investigators occasionally contact citizens by telephone for investigative purposes, but they will not request sensitive personal information from a citizen over the phone. If a person receives a similar suspicious call from someone alleging to be from the OIG, citizens may report that information to the OIG at 1-800-269-0271 or online via https://oig.ssa.gov/report.

Acting Inspector General Stone said, “This phishing scheme is targeting unsuspecting persons for the purpose of Social Security benefit theft or identity theft.” She warns citizens to be cautious, and to avoid providing personal information such as your SSN or bank account numbers to unknown persons over the phone or internet unless you are certain of who is receiving it. “You must be very confident that the source is the correct business party, and that your information will be secure after you release it,” Stone said.

If a person has questions about any communication—email, letter, text or phone call—that claims to be from SSA or the OIG, please contact your local Social Security office, or call Social Security’s toll-free customer service number at 1-800-772-1213, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, to verify its legitimacy. (Those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can call Social Security’s TTY number at 1-800-325-0778.)

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About the Author

Andrew Cannarsa, OIG Communications Director

Andrew Cannarsa, OIG Communications Director

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Comments

  1. Margaret L.

    I need to report a robo scam call about my Social Security number. Having trouble finding the right place to call or web site that is real.

    • A.C.

      Hi, Margaret. Thanks for letting us know. 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 find additional information here. Thanks, again.

  2. Vicki G.

    View Web Version | Unsubscribe

    To SSA,
    I received this e-mail today. I did not “click here”. I suspect it is fraudulent. Vicki

    DEAR VICKI GARROD
    URGENT: YOU MAY LOSE SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS IF YOU WAIT TOO LONG.
    YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR BENEFITS THAT YOU COULD LOSE IF YOU DON’T CHECK YOUR STATUS.
    PLEASE CLICK HERE

    THIS IS Disclaimer THIS IS A PAID ATTORNEY/ADVOCATE ADVERTISEMENT. This group advertisement is paid for by participating attorneys and advocates. The site is not an attorney referral service or prepaid legal services plan. This website is privately owned and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other government agency. The promotion of this website is sponsored exclusively by professional Social Security Attorneys and Advocacy Groups, in an effort to provide services to the public for Disability issues. The website does not make any representation to the qualifications, expertise or credentials of participating attorneys/advocates and does not represent that quality is better than services performed by other attorneys/advocates. Any information you submit to this website may not be protected by attorney-client privilege. An automated matching system will match each request with a member attorney/advocate representing the specific geography. A list of participating attorneys will be mailed free of charge to members of the public upon request. Requests should be made to IM Solutions, LLC, 1820 Preston Park Blvd., Suite 2200, Plano, TX 75093, or unsubscribe here.

    Brought to you by: Just12Seconds, Suite 3542, 24B Moorefield Rd, Johnsonville, Wellington 6037, New Zealand
    Not interested anymore? Click here to unsubscribe.
    Please do not reply to this email to unsubscribe.

    • A.C.

      Hi, Vicki. Thank you for your comment. Please be suspicious of unsolicited phone calls and mail messages. If an unknown individual claims to be from a legitimate organization, try to verify his or her identity directly with the company. Avoid providing personal information unless you are certain of a person’s authority to have the information. In a few instances, we will use marketing firms to help raise awareness of Social Security’s online services, and this includes creating a personal my Social Security account. We allow these firms to send emails that will take individuals directly to our website. Any links that you find within these emails should always point to a “.gov” web address. If you are not certain that an email you received came from Social Security or one of our marketing partners, DO NOT click the link. Visit our Internet Phishing Alert web page to learn more about how to detect a fraudulent email message. We hope this information helps!

  3. Janet G.

    “There is a legal enforcement action filed on your Social Security number for criminal activities so when you get this message kindly referred to as soon as possible on our number that is 210-361-3285 I repeat 210-361-3285 before we begin with the legal proceedings thank you…”
    Got this scam call today

  4. Jack c.

    Received several phone calls requesting I call them that my SSN Had been compromised and they have frozen my SSN account. The number that keeps call is 5054316559. Please stop them from calling people. I know this is a scam and I told them I was reporting them.

    • A.C.

      Thanks for letting us know, Jack. Suspicious calls should be reported to the Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-269-0271 or online. Check out our latest blog for additional tips. We hope this helps.

  5. Tricia

    I just received a phone call today stating my social security number was suspended and to immediately call 469-215-7914. This is from McKinney, Texas. Such a scam!

  6. Debra K.

    Hello I revived a scam call from 1888-328-4367 saying they were from social security ‘ asking for my social security number ,
    Threatening with jail time . I knew it wasn’t SSA office

    • V.V.

      Hi Debra, thanks for letting us know. If the caller is claiming to be from Social Security—it is critical that you pay attention to the tone and content of the message from the caller. 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 they threaten 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.

      If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from Social Security, we urge you to always be cautious and to avoid providing sensitive information such as your SSN or bank account information. Never reveal personal data to a stranger who calls you, and never send the stranger money via wire transfer or gift cards.

      Social Security employees will never threaten you for information; they will not state that you face potential arrest or other legal action if you fail to provide information or pay a fee. In those cases, the call is fraudulent, and you should just hang up. If you receive these calls, report the information to the Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-269-0271 or online at oig.ssa.gov/report.

  7. Joe W.

    I have been receiving multiple phone calls about my social security number being suspended and when I talk to them they are from another country. What do I do about this

    • V.V.

      Hi Joe. If the caller is claiming to be from Social Security—it is critical that you pay attention to the tone and content of the message from the caller. 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 they threaten 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.

      If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from Social Security, we urge you to always be cautious and to avoid providing sensitive information such as your SSN or bank account information. Never reveal personal data to a stranger who calls you, and never send the stranger money via wire transfer or gift cards.

      Social Security employees will never threaten you for information; they will not state that you face potential arrest or other legal action if you fail to provide information or pay a fee. In those cases, the call is fraudulent, and you should just hang up. If you receive these calls, report the information to the Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-269-0271 or online at oig.ssa.gov/report.

  8. Mike D.

    I received a call this morning from 210-361-2801 saying there was fraud on my social security number. I called and they identified themselves as an “officer”. Wanted to confirm my personal information. I told them send me something in the mail. I called back and said this is a scam after I googled the number and the said some obscene words and hung up on me. According to google, I saw complaints about this exact thing going back to July of last year using this same phone number. How are these crooks still in operation 8 months later???? Please shut these people down.

    • V.V.

      Hi Mike, thanks for letting us know. If the caller is claiming to be from Social Security—it is critical that you pay attention to the tone and content of the message from the caller. 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 they threaten 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.

      If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from Social Security, we urge you to always be cautious and to avoid providing sensitive information such as your SSN or bank account information. Never reveal personal data to a stranger who calls you, and never send the stranger money via wire transfer or gift cards.

      Social Security employees will never threaten you for information; they will not state that you face potential arrest or other legal action if you fail to provide information or pay a fee. In those cases, the call is fraudulent, and you should just hang up. If you receive these calls, report the information to the Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-269-0271 or online at oig.ssa.gov/report.

  9. Helen K.

    Phone number 5053495769 pretends to be the Social Security on behalf of the DEA, they even answer back. Don’t fall for it.

    • V.V.

      Hi Helen. Thank you for letting us know. If the caller is claiming to be from Social Security—it is critical that you pay attention to the tone and content of the message from the caller. 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 they threaten 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.

      If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from Social Security, we urge you to always be cautious and to avoid providing sensitive information such as your SSN or bank account information. Never reveal personal data to a stranger who calls you, and never send the stranger money via wire transfer or gift cards.

      Social Security employees will never threaten you for information; they will not state that you face potential arrest or other legal action if you fail to provide information or pay a fee. In those cases, the call is fraudulent, and you should just hang up. If you receive these calls, report the information to the Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-269-0271 or online at oig.ssa.gov/report.

  10. Paula A.

    I received 2 calls today from this tel : (214)613-3914 claiming that there has been some inquiry re my SSA number .

    • V.V.

      Hi Paula. If the caller is claiming to be from Social Security—it is critical that you pay attention to the tone and content of the message from the caller. 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 they threaten 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.

      If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from Social Security, we urge you to always be cautious and to avoid providing sensitive information such as your SSN or bank account information. Never reveal personal data to a stranger who calls you, and never send the stranger money via wire transfer or gift cards.

      Social Security employees will never threaten you for information; they will not state that you face potential arrest or other legal action if you fail to provide information or pay a fee. In those cases, the call is fraudulent, and you should just hang up. If you receive these calls, report the information to the Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-269-0271 or online at oig.ssa.gov/report.

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