Frauds & Scams

Inspector General Warns Public About OIG Impersonation Schemes

October 10, 2018 • By

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Last Updated: October 10, 2018

woman looking on phoneThe Acting Inspector General of Social Security, Gale Stallworth Stone, is warning citizens about an ongoing Office of the Inspector General (OIG) impersonation scheme.  The OIG has recently received reports from citizens about suspicious phone calls claiming to be from the Acting Inspector General.

The reports indicate the caller identifies as “Gale Stone” and states the person’s Social Security number (SSN) is at risk of being deactivated or deleted.  The caller then asks the person to call a provided phone number to resolve the issue.  Citizens should be aware that the scheme’s details may vary; however, citizens should avoid engaging with the caller or calling the number provided, as the caller might attempt to acquire personal information.

The Acting Inspector General urges citizens to be 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 the Acting Inspector General or from the OIG, you should report that information to the OIG at 1-800-269-0271 or online via https://oig.ssa.gov/report.

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About the Author

Andrew Cannarsa, OIG Communications Director

Andrew Cannarsa, OIG Communications Director

Comments

  1. kenneth s.

    I have received four phone calls purportedly from ssa. Phone numbers are 844-048-1529, 929-620-5873, 929-393-7401 and 209-488-7817. The last call said an arrest warrant had been issued for me. I hung up the phone on all calls.

    • L.A.

      Hi Kenneth. Thanks for checking in with us. 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.

  2. english c.

  3. Jesse R.

    Someone called our home phone and said our social security number has been compromised and that we are to call the fraud department at 336-415-4176. they did
    not ask for a specific person nor who was answering the phone which led me to believe the call is a scan. i did not return the call

  4. Tyra W.

    I received a call that I didn’t anwser that left me an anwser on my messenger to call back 1877- 777 723468. About my social security being discontinued. And to call back . the call was very choppy. . I missed getting my call into social security today. But there was a message. On social security and seeing machine about scam calls. This call did seem suspicious. I did not return the call as I was scared a yr ago. Let it be known I’ve not given my social number to anyone unless they were sitting in front of me with legal experience and documentation. To obtain my number since.

  5. Anne M.

    received call from SS Administration due to “suspension of my SSN due to illegal activities. Phone No. was 800-003-0687.

    This was on answer machine. I did not respond.

  6. Shirley M.

    My Spouse, Shirley A McDonald, SS ending in 8627 is receiving phone calls asking her to call 877-870-6087. We have reason to believe this is fraudulent

    • L.A.

      Hi Shirley. Thank you for letting us know about these calls. We do not usually make random calls. If you or 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 also report these scams to the Federal Trade Commission through a new site specific to Social Security scams here. We hope this helps.

  7. julia a.

    I have received some phone call from 1-888-447-7930. that my benefits has been stopped. Please let me know why!!!!!!!!

    • L.A.

      Hi Julia. Thank you for letting us know about these calls. We do not usually make random calls. If you or 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 also report these scams to the Federal Trade Commission through a new site specific to Social Security scams here. We hope this helps.

  8. William L.

    I am receiving up to 50 calls a week from 1-800 numbers, all stating that due to suspicious activity with my social number, they are going to send the local sheriff to arrest me. Yet I have done absolutely nothing wrong. So I looked up online and it said to report these numbers. Every day I get these calls. Here are the last weeks
    18000880146
    18003504643
    18006115696
    18009340546
    18004352668
    18006589977
    18004373244
    18001904328
    18005463934
    18005593853
    18006502934
    18002752273 9 times

  9. Sue T.

    I received an call from a 216-930-7086 telling me my ss will be suspended regarding a legal matter.

  10. Richard E.

    My name is Richard Edelmann and I received a similar call today at 11:18 AM (EST) as described above from an individual who said that they were a SSA staff employee and that my SS account was under investigation and was in jeopardy of being “frozen.” The caller then asked me to verify identity information to which I replied that they should tell me the information and I would confirm its accuracy. Then they promptly hung up. The telephone number that was displayed on my caller ID showing the number used for the “staff person” was 804-207-4970. A short time later (12:55 EST), I received a recorded message from the same telephone number indicating that my SS account was under review and may be subject to a freeze.

    If you have any questions or need additional information please contact me at the e-mail address below.

    Thank you for looking into this matter.

    Richard Edelmann

    • A.C.

      Hi, Richard. 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 also report these scams to the Federal Trade Commission through a new site specific to Social Security scams, here. Thanks, again.

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