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
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Andrew Cannarsa, OIG Communications Director
Andrew Cannarsa, OIG Communications Director
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Felicia A.
Yes I get those calls all the time. I talk to someone I thought it was real I did give them some information.. I didn’t know please check my SSA information.
R.F.
Hello Felicia, 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 (TTY number at 1-800-325-0778). You may -also- report the information to the OIG at 1-800-269-0271 or online via https://oig.ssa.gov/report. Thanks!
John B.
The first sentence of the third paragraph states that SSA employees “do not” contact citizens by phone. It should be “do” contact citizens by phone.
R.F.
The statement is correct, John. Generally, our employees do not 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.
As a reminder, 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!
Judy i.
Okay, I am freaked out! I sent a form to local SSA by mail and, a few days later, I got a call from the number for the local office saying I sent in the wrong form How could they know I had appealed a determination??
R.F.
Hello Judy. Unfortunately, and because of security reasons we do not have access to personal records in this blog and cannot answer your question at this time. One of our representatives should be able to provide you with an explanation. Please call our toll free number at 1-800-772-1213 for assistance. Representatives are available Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Generally, you will have a shorter wait time if you call later during the day or later in the week. Thanks!
Bernadette
So, do you think sending out email will help? Most people on Social Security don’t have email. These scammers should have been stopped a long time ago but, that’s never the case. I feel so bad for the people that have been scammed.
R.F.
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!
Alice M.
Would it be a problem if you told the caller you were busy and hung up—then called the number yourself. I feel more secure if I place the call. Alice
V.V.
Alice, thank you for checking in with us.
If you have questions about any communication — email, letter, text or phone call — that claims to be from SSA, 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 (TTY number at 1-800-325-0778). You may also report the information to the OIG at 1-800-269-0271 or online via https://oig.ssa.gov/reporthttps://oig.ssa.gov/report.
David i.
I will say, YOU have an out of control employee!
Joseph R.
Why is it do difficult to address this problem? Every day I receive between 5 & 10 unwanted marketing and phony cls. every day. Of course I do use a private service (nomo robo) to blk. the bulk of the cls. but the phone must ring twice. What I find unacceptable is FTC saying to report these phony callers on their useless Do No Call Web page. This outdated site only allows you to enter one call at a time and besides this Web site we originally created to report real numbers, not fake numbers. As a retired person from the the telecommunications field, I know the industry can stop thsee calla dead in their tracts but they do not because behind each of these phony calls is a real telephone number that pays the Telcos revenue so the Telcos are co-conspirators in thsee phony calls.
Elle C.
THANK YOU FOR THIS INFORMATION … WE ALL NEED TO SEE/READ/UNDERSTAND IT’S SERIOUSNESS.
Lesly F.
All the time i received call now they’re stop because i have nothing an comments for them.
George H.
The big question is how is this scam caller able to display the SSA’s 1-800 number on the caller ID screen of the recipient? This looks like a weak link (a loop hole?) in the phone system. It’s obviously not the number they’re calling from so how can the phone company allow that to happen? Is it a software or programming bug that could be cleaned up, and if so, why does the phone company allow such an illegal thing to continue? Is the SSA pursuing this with the phone company and I would appreciate the Acting Inspector General General, Gale Stone, follow up by addressing this flaw in the system and the actions taken to circumvent it.
David i.
I have had scammers show my phone number on caller I.D.
K
Exactly Right on!