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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Andrew
Why don’t you lazy government “officials” do something about it for once?
Kim C.
I just recvd a call from SS 800 num. it was voice automated and said my benefits were under suspicion of fraud so press 1 to speak to an associate. I hung up and realize SS is closed on Sat. unless they send out automated messages?
V.V.
Hi Kim, thank you for checking in with us. Unfortunately there are some Social Security impersonation schemes that we are warning citizens about. See our two recent blog posts:
https://blog.ssa.gov/inspector-general-warns-public-about-oig-impersonation-schemes/
https://blog.ssa.gov/inspector-general-warns-public-about-caller-id-spoofing-scheme-misusing-ssa-customer-service-number/
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/report.
Shirley M.
I have not received this 800 call but I have received calls with just a long number for a caller ID…..seems to be a ph number embedded in it. I answered one of them and the man said he was with Medicare and he seemed to want to sign me up on a medicare supplement. ….I hung up.
Bill
The official SSA responses here are lacking. The “SSA” phone calls rules have even changed between postings here, so if SSA can’t get it right, who are we to trust?
Also, instead of just saying, contact … why don’t you say something like, “If you receive a call/message from an official SSA employee, you will be given specific information, including the employee’s name and their actual phone number and not the generally spoof (800) 772-1213 SSA incoming line.” Something like this would be helpful. Otherwise, you will continue to get a ton of calls tying up the phone agents.
Priscilla A.
What is to prevent seniors in facilities like nursing homes who do not know about scams from receiving such calls after all they do have landlines too. Some seniors are truly innocent.
Jerry S.
I have gotten 8 to 10 calls, saying i’m going to be arrested by ssa. from redmond washington 425-689-0235
R.F.
Just 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!
Luis C.
I received a call from 347-467-0914. The call was very staticky and all I could get out of it was that my benefits would be held up because there was a supposed problem with my social security number. I was supposed to call back to a number that I couldn’t understand because of the static in the line.
Patricia D.
I received a call from 410-489-1218 and they said there was some criminal action against my social security number.
I am pretty sure this is a scam but thought I’d check just in case there is something I am not sure of!
R.F.
Hello Patricia. 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.
If a person has questions about any communication—email, letter, text or phone call—that claims to be from SSA or the OIG, please report that information to the OIG at 1-800-269-0271 or online via https://oig.ssa.gov/report. Thanks!
Jilda L.
I received a call from 760-304-8490 stating there was suspicious activity in my area that might interfere with my Social Security benefits. I was going to accept the call to see what they were going to say but got disconnected. Before I got disconnected I heard a girl talking a different language. Thought I’d better report.
R.F.
Thank you for sharing this information, Jilda.
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!
Charlotte P.
I received a call on my phone from a number using the SSI heading and the number (989) 575-5001. I did not answer this call because I had read that there are robo calls using the SSI heading. It was recommended that I report any calls to SS Administration.
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!