Inspector General Warns Public About Caller-ID “Spoofing” Scheme Misusing SSA Customer Service Number
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: October 22, 2018
The Acting Inspector General of Social Security, Gale Stallworth Stone, is warning citizens about an ongoing caller-ID “spoofing” scheme misusing the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) national customer service phone number. SSA has received numerous reports of questionable phone calls displaying SSA’s 1-800 number on a caller-ID screen. This is a scam; citizens should not engage with those calls or provide any personal information.
These reports indicate the calls display the 1-800-772-1213, SSA’s national customer service number, as the incoming number on caller ID. People who have accepted the calls said the caller identifies as an SSA employee. In some cases, the caller states that SSA does not have all of the person’s personal information, such as their Social Security number (SSN), on file. Other callers claim SSA needs additional information so the agency can increase the person’s benefit payment, or that SSA will terminate the person’s benefits if they do not confirm their information. This appears to be a widespread issue, as reports have come from citizens across the country.
SSA employees do contact citizens by telephone for customer-service purposes, and in some situations, an SSA employee may request the citizen confirm personal information over the phone. However, SSA employees will never threaten you for information 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.
“This caller-ID spoofing scheme exploits SSA’s trusted reputation, and it shows that scammers will try anything to mislead and harm innocent people,” 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 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
Did you find this Information helpful?
About the Author
Andrew Cannarsa, OIG Communications Director
Andrew Cannarsa, OIG Communications Director
Comments
Comments are closed.
William P.
IG complaint on local office procedures, please provide a reliable telephone number.
V.V.
Hi William. You can submit feedback by visiting our Contact Social Security page. Once there, select the “Email Us” link. This will take you to the “Email A Question to our Support Team” form, where you can complete and submit a compliment, complaint, or suggestion. We hope this helps.
F. H.
February 13, 2020: Caller asked for my husband, (over a very noisy crowd in his calling location–number of the caller came up on the phone’s screen as 213-463-3378) but I took the call to find out what was wanted. I did give him the last 4 digits of my husband’s SSN but no address or any other information. The caller said his name was Mark William (accented speech), ID# SSA 73940, DC1890. When I started asking more questions, the line went dead.
Sari
I received a call from 800-231-2732 stating my SS# has been suspended due to fraudulent use. I didn’t select to speak to anybody, but here’s another # to add to your list.
joseph l.
Hi, I rec’d a call on my cell phone on Friday, 12/6/2019 from phone number 725-208-3043 at 14:30 hours.
They stated that my Social Security payments will stop and my drivers license will be not available any longer unless I call them.
I hope this is useful and you can send them to jail for scaring my wife and I.
Thank you, Joseph T. Lamb
A.C.
Hi, Joseph. Thanks for letting us know. Generally, we will only contact you if you have requested a call or have ongoing business with us. Recently, scams—misleading victims into making cash or gift card payments to avoid arrest for Social Security number problems—have skyrocketed. Our employees will never threaten you for information or promise a benefit in exchange for personal information or money.
If you receive a suspicious call like this: 1) Hang up. 2) Do not provide personal information, money, or retail gift cards. 3) Report suspicious calls here. For more information on how to protect yourself, check out our Frequently Asked Questions. We hope this helps.
Cheri D.
I keep getting calls saying my ssn will be blocked and all of that claiming they are yall. Yall need 5o fond a way to stop this.
L.A.
Hi Cherri. Thanks for letting us know. Generally, we will only contact you if you have requested a call or have ongoing business with us. Recently, scams—misleading victims into making cash or gift card payments to avoid arrest for Social Security number problems—have skyrocketed. Our employees will never threaten you for information or promise a benefit in exchange for personal information or money.
If you receive a suspicious call like this: 1) Hang up. 2) Do not provide personal information, money, or retail gift cards. 3) Report suspicious calls here. For more information on how to protect yourself, check out our Frequently Asked Questions. We hope this helps.
robert g.
the number that called me was 2084254568. after greeting him and asking him how his afternoon was going and if he bowled or played softball or liked movies, he proceeded to yell at me and tell me he was dispacatching the police in my area to my house. i asked him which police dept, and he said, the police in your city, i said oh no, not the z police dept, he said yes and they were going to lock me up. i told him my uncle worked for the attorney general and i wanted his name, he flung i few expletives at me and hung up.i thought it was comical, but i know there are some out there that would fall for this.
L.A.
Hi Robert. Thanks for letting us know about these calls. We do not usually make random calls. If anyone receives calls saying they are from Social Security, do not give out any personal information. Suspicious calls should be reported to the Office of the Inspector General online. You can also report these scams to the Federal Trade Commission through a site specific to Social Security scams, here. We hope this helps.
Janice L.
Has anyone received a phone call from this number: 279-777-1661, stating that this is the Social Security Administration? Is this legitimate or a scam? When you return the call there’s just a message that says to wait for the next representative. The message does not indicate where you are calling.
L.A.
Hi Janice. Thanks for letting us know about these calls. We do not usually make random calls. If anyone receives calls saying they are from Social Security, do not give out any personal information. Suspicious calls should be reported to the Office of the Inspector General online. You can also report these scams to the Federal Trade Commission through a site specific to Social Security scams, here. We hope this helps.