IG Warns Public About Fraudulent Phone Calls Threatening Arrest or Legal Action
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: December 7, 2018
The Acting Inspector General of Social Security, Gale Stallworth Stone, is urging citizens to remain vigilant of telephone impersonation schemes that exploit the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) reputation and authority.
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) continues to receive reports from across the country about fraudulent phone calls from people claiming to be from SSA. Recent reports have indicated that unknown callers are using increasingly threatening language in these calls. The callers state, due to improper or illegal activity with a citizen’s Social Security number (SSN) or account, a citizen will be arrested or face other legal action if they fail to call a provided phone number to address the issue. This is a scam; citizens should not engage with these calls or provide any personal information.
SSA employees do contact citizens, generally those who have ongoing business with SSA, by telephone for customer-service purposes. However, SSA 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. In those cases, the call is fraudulent, and you should just hang up.
“Unfortunately, scammers will try anything to mislead and harm innocent people, including scaring them into thinking that something is wrong with their Social Security account and they might be arrested,” Stone said. “I encourage everyone to remain watchful of these schemes and to alert family members and friends of their prevalence. We will continue to track these scams and warn citizens, so that they can stay several steps ahead of these thieves.”
The OIG recently warned that some of these impersonation calls have “spoofed” SSA’s national customer service phone number, displaying 1-800-772-1213 as the incoming number on caller ID.
The Acting Inspector General urges citizens to be extremely cautious, and to avoid providing 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. If you receive a suspicious call from someone alleging to be from SSA, you should report that information to the OIG at 1-800-269-0271 or online at https://oig.ssa.gov/report.
For more information, please visit https://oig.ssa.gov/newsroom/scam-awareness. For media inquiries, please contact Andrew Cannarsa, OIG’s Communications Director, at (410) 965-2671.
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Andrew Cannarsa, OIG Communications Director
Andrew Cannarsa, OIG Communications Director
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Gloria J.
Hi, I answered my mom’s cell phone and she received two calls from (866) 404-2327, both of which claimed to be from the SSA. They requested she press the number “1” to speak to a representative relative to fraudulent use of her SS number. Apparently, there is an abundance of scams! Hopefully, this additional number adds to the list of those already specified.
Laura
I received a robo call today, March 22, 2019 at 12:56pm, eastern time from, (469) 856-8865, from Midlothian, Texas. The robo caller claimed to be from the SSA and requested I call the number due to fraudulent activity use of my SS number before they file legal action. I immediately looked up if there was a scam similar to the call I received and never called the number back. I then came across this article and figured I’d notify you along with the number the scammers called from in hopes this can be of some help to both you and many others!
A.C.
Hi, Laura. Thanks for letting us know. 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. We hope this helps.
Charles T.
I received a call from phone number:
18007221243, last night.
Thanks for posting this information
donna m.
I received a phone call recorded that said it was a ss officer stating that there was suspicious activity on my account. they ased me to hold and then did not me to hold and then did not stay on the line. should I be concerned/
A.C.
Thanks for checking in with us, Donna. 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. We hope this helps.
Glenna M.
We have been receiving calls from I-855-782-8874 saying that they are from Social Security and need to speak to us as soon as possible. Is this a SS number or a scam number?
A.C.
Hi, Glenna. 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. We hope this helps.
Khalid
me & my wife got a call almost at similar time from 3462551213- with warining that our SSN will be suspended 🙂
A.C.
Hi, Khalid. 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. We hope this helps.
Marian C.
I received a scam call today at 12:44 pm telling me that my SSI would be cancelled please help no one is taking this serious. Here in Ohio the number that called me was 1-866-613-2861. I just received my SSI and do not want anybody calling thinking it’s funny. And I do not want it to stop. This is why I am writing this message. Please, find; people like this and put them out of business bothering the people like me who depends on their incomes that they have worked for.
Marian C. Perry
(937) 789-4287
A.C.
Hi, Marian. 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 find additional information here. We hope this helps.
Mary J.
I just got the call from 423-381-0980 They answer as “Officer XX with the SSA”…They went on to tell me my SS# has been involved in several felonies and what do I want to do. I told him he is the officer, he should arrest them since they know it’s fraudulent. I said it sounded like a scam, they then said I was going to be arrested and agents will be coming to my house. And then said “and now what do you think…” I said it sounded like a scam and they hung up on me….
A.C.
Hi, Mary. 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. We hope this helps.
Janitz A.
I got a missed call and a voicemail from my cell phone, Friday, March 15, 2019 1:00pm. I was at the Supermarket for a food shopping to my patient. When I get back to his apartment I opened my phone and listen the voicemail; This phone call is from the Department of Social Security Administration. We just suspend your Social Security Number because we found some suspicious activity. So if you want to know about this case just press 1. thank you.
Then at around 5:00 pm they call me back again…using the numbers: 1-800-623-1000 so I picked up my phone I answered it. I thought from the SSA. One lady talk to me and she asked my informations about my names, age, address and SSN. I gave it to her because she’s threatening me. And she passed the phone to a one guy, using different numbers again; 1-813— —-. I asked his names and he said that….He is Matthew Wallace. He spoke to me and he said Listen carefully: Somebody using your SSN and they deposited in your bank account. We found out that you are involved from the Money Laundering, Drugs Trafficking, etc. So if you want to solve this CASE just be co-operate. And I said WHAT? And he said “Don’t tell to anybody. Where are you right now, he asked me. I said I am at the Bank. And he said Go out from the bank because your phone is chaffy. And I said to him….This is SPAM. I hang up my phone. And one lady called me again, using the phone # 212……She said, She is from the FBI here in NYC. Why you don’t want to cooperate with Matthew Wallace. And why I said? I have no illegal transactions to any one. Lady: Do you want to solve this case or we will arrest you? Do you want to go in JAIL? Even your family we will arrest them too. Of course I was nervous though. And then she pass the phone to Mathew Wallace again. He told me again if you want to solve this case…..just cooperate with me. Withdraw all your MONEY from your account. Because your is a Private Bank. And I said: WHAT??? This is SPAM and I hang up the phone. But they keep calling me and I got 27 calls and voicemails while I am walking to the subway. So my CONCERNS is about my SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER. The first lady I talked to she knows about my information. They will get my Money from my account and my benefits from the SSN once I will get a retirement in the near future? So how could you help me and protect me about these? Thank You!
Blayne M.
Just received a phone call from Lexington, TX (979) 773-8076 on this same potential arrest or other legal action scam and to call back to same number for more information. Hopefully this phone number can be used to find the scammers.
A.C.
Thanks for letting us know, Blayne. 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. We hope this helps.