Inspector General Updates Public About OIG Impersonation Scheme
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: August 19, 2021
Gale Stallworth Stone, the Acting Inspector General of Social Security, is urging citizens to remain vigilant of a nationwide telephone impersonation scheme. Since alerting the public in early March about suspicious calls from people posing as Office of the Inspector General (OIG) investigators, the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the OIG have received additional reports and information about the phone scheme from citizens across the country.
According to reports, the calls include a recorded message from an “officer with the Inspector General of Social Security.” The recording states the person’s Social Security account, Social Security number (SSN), and/or benefits are suspended, and the person should call a non-SSA number to resolve the issue. For instance, a common recording from “Nancy Jones” requests citizens call 806-680-2373. Upon calling the number, an unknown person alerts unsuspecting citizens about a warrant for their arrest. The unknown person urges citizens to purchase iTunes cards, other gift cards, or prepaid banking cards, for hundreds of dollars, and to provide the card information to the unknown person, to resolve the warrant.
Acting Inspector General Stone advises that citizens:
- Avoid calling any number provided by a suspicious source, as the unknown source might pressure you to provide your personal information, or to make a payment or purchase for fictitious reasons.
- Avoid making payments over the phone or purchasing gift cards or banking cards to resolve government or business matters.
“This scheme targets unsuspecting persons and uses scare tactics to defraud them of their resources,” Acting Inspector General Stone said. “Citizens should be very careful and avoid responding to suspicious calls. If an unknown person pressures you on the phone into providing payments or making purchases for odd reasons, don’t think twice about hanging up.”
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.
If a person has questions about any communication—phone call, email, letter, or text—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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Tags: fraud, Inspector General, Office of the Inspector General, OIG, social security, Social Security benefits, SSA
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Andrew Cannarsa, OIG Communications Director
Andrew Cannarsa, OIG Communications Director
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Timothy N.
I have received several calls claiming to be from the SSA. One gave a phone # 210.775.2516 stating that a SS# has been suspended. They called at least 10 times.
Another call stated legal action was commencing and we were to call 707.271.6197. Quite scary, but I don’t believe either call. I thought you might like to have the phone #s.
I hope this may help to reduce this action.
Ray F.
Thank you for sharing this information, Timothy. Social Security Administration (SSA) employees occasionally contact citizens by telephone for customer-service purposes. An SSA employee may call you in limited situations, such as if you recently filed a claim or have other Social Security business that are pending. In only a few limited special situations, usually already known to the citizen, an SSA employee may request the citizen to confirm personal information over the phone.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which receives and analyzes public complaints related to identity theft, recently reported to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) an increase in reports of suspicious phone calls from people claiming to be SSA employees. If a person receives a suspicious call from someone alleging to be from SSA, citizens may report that information to the OIG at 1-800-269-0271 or online via https://oig.ssa.gov/report.
Charlotte A.
Can I check my fathers social security number. He passed away 4 years ago and it was never reported to the Veterans office.
Dayle M.
I received a phone call from 850-260-3326 telling me my Social Security has been placed on hold. First I do not receive Social Security so I knew it was some form of scam. I tried calling about 6 different numbers and could not get thru to anyone. I find this happens with most phone calls to Government offices. I am sending you this number with hopes that you can trace it and stop these people. I have blocked this number from my phone.
Ray F.
Thank you for sharing this information, Dayle. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which receives and analyzes public complaints related to identity theft, recently reported to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) an increase in reports of suspicious phone calls from people claiming to be SSA employees.
If a person receives a suspicious call from someone alleging to be from SSA, citizens may report that information to the OIG at 1-800-269-0271 or online via https://oig.ssa.gov/report. Thanks!
Kathjy L.
I had my social security number breached 3times from the Social Security Adminstation Student Loans division; due to employees leaving their LAPTOP in the car in plain sight. And beware, if a lawyer asks for a password to FACEBOOK ACCOUNT, DON’T DO THAT. I HAD IDENTITY THEFT OVER A 10 YEAR PERIOD. LATER I LEARNED THAT HE LET OTHER PEOPLE LINK TO MYemail account as me.
Mary
have not received new SSN cards
Nemo
I thought you were a whale…
Nemo
My true name is Nemo I think…
Nemo
Hello!
Thank you for informing me Senorita actress…I am very pleased to recieve your information…
Aware now of scams…willl look out for my telephone!
Gracias,
Anna
Janice P.
My mother is a victim of MAJOR FRAUD by Sociial Security Employees. She received 30 years backpay. Employees came to our home unannounced on numerous accounts without notice asking to speak to my elderly not well educated mother. She is bedriden and was recovering from Congestive Heart Failure. I applied for her benefits from my father who was a Navy Vet. She was eligible for 30 years backpay. Jacson, MS office called my neice from Houston TX and paid her to kidnap my mother and bring her to Houston. My mothr was immediately placed in Nursin Home where she is today. My family has not seen or head from my neice since the kidnapping The Nursing Home is Payee. I am her daughter and Power of Attorney. My mother was abducted in 2007. I found her in 2009. My neice made herself POA . There is no Revocation for MY POA in MS a part of Public Record. There are 3 differnt POA on file at the nursing home in Houston. My neice abandoned her shortly after the abduction. My mother is 92 and declining. I cant afford an attorney. She is declining. She has not seen her 6 living children, grandchildren – no family since 2007. The nursing home Springbranch Transitiona is operating on a POA that has no merit. No Revocation and my mother had Demtia when she was abducted. Iinformed Houston SSA. I had 2000 pages of evidence. They Refused to copy the EVIDENCE. The OIG in MS was involved. My mother Maxine Porter has not beem outside in 7 years. The stress caused me to have a meltdown. Please dont let my mother die in that nursing home. I dont have any. STRENGTH left to fight. She is so unkept. She has been kidnapped. Exploited, Neglectected, Abandoned, and Robbed of her Golden Years of LIFE! Please help us get her out of there and back to MS before she leaves this earth. It could be your Mother. For the Sake of Justice – SOMEONE STEP IN. INVESTIGATE. I have All The Documents to support these allegations. PLEASE HELP! SSA will be held accountable. I dedicate my life to JUSTICE FOR MY MOTHER. EMPLOYEES As THEIVES and family member partcipates. I am BROKEN! HURT and have to carry this pain to my grave. Please save my MOTHER. She is 92. God is keeping her alive. He promised me she would come back alive. She is declining. SAD Life Story! Dont let this go. How many other victims are there?
Donald F.
Thank you,
my wife received a call from a man claiming to be an attorney with social security who said that he was Larry Goldberg with regional office in Philadelphia. He wanted to talk to both my wife and me. He was confirming we were still married and that there were no other wives for me. This was because my wife had not worked enough quarters to fully qualify herself. He said some of this had to be done by hand and would take about a month to show up on my SSA account. Her 65th birthday is in June this year. Can you confirm for me this was a legitimate contact? It felt a little creepy but my wife thought it was fine. Looking forward to your reply to this email at this same email address.