Inspector General Warns Public About Social Security Advisory Board-Related Scam
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: May 17, 2019
The Inspector General of Social Security, Gail S. Ennis, is warning the public about a new variation of increasingly common government employee impersonation scams, this time involving the Social Security Advisory Board. The Advisory Board has reported that individuals are receiving scam phone calls displaying the board’s phone number on caller ID. The callers are reportedly attempting to obtain personal information, including Social Security numbers. If you receive this type of call, you should not engage with the caller or provide personal information or money in response to requests or threats.
These callers are employing tactics similar to impersonation schemes involving the IRS, SSA, and the SSA OIG. Inspector General Ennis advises that callers may use a variety of false scenarios or threats to obtain personal information or payments, often requested through gift cards or prepaid debit cards.
However, the Social Security Advisory Board typically does not contact the general public to request personal information over the phone. Moreover, government employees will never threaten you to obtain personal information or payments. In those cases, the call is fraudulent, and you should just hang up.
“This caller-ID spoofing scheme has unfortunately evolved to include the Social Security Advisory Board, but it is the same type of scam, attempting to mislead people by using the trusted name of Social Security,” Inspector General Ennis said. “I encourage everyone to alert your family and friends about how common these scams are, and to be very cautious when speaking with unknown callers, even if you recognize the caller ID.”
Inspector General Ennis urges the public not to provide sensitive information over the phone or internet unless you are certain of who is receiving it. You should also never wire money or add money to a prepaid debit card to pay for any official government service.
If you receive a suspicious call, you may report that information online at https://oig.ssa.gov/report or by calling (800) 269-0271, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time. You can also report these scams to the Federal Trade Commission through a new site specific to Social Security scams: https://identitytheft.gov/ssa.
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Andrew Cannarsa, OIG Communications Director
Andrew Cannarsa, OIG Communications Director
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Deborah C.
I’ve been getting calls that say fraudulent use of my ssn and my ssn has been suspended. These are voice mails. When i call the number they dialed from it’s not in service but they leave a different number to call back on..which I haven’t. Have you heard of this?
Luis A.
Thank you for letting us know about these calls, Deborah. 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.
Ruth H.
I received a call from 415-429-7706 this morning. A taped message stated that my SS# was being blocked due to suspicious behavior and that I needed to contact them in order to release it. I did not call them back.
Ann C.
Thanks for checking in with us, Ruth. 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.
IVAN V.
I received a robot call from 1800-184-6213 telling me my SSN was going to be deactivated due to some suspicious activities reported. watch out!
Ann C.
Hi, Ivan. Thanks for letting us know. 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. We hope this helps.
jodi
hello..my friend foght 3 years to get disability and after he received his payment he was contacted that he either send xxxxxx amount of money back or he loses his benefits..was that a scam? or does that really happen?
Luis A.
Thank you for letting us know about these calls, Jodi. 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
Georgia Y.
Hi I received a phone call this morning regarding my social security check will be cancelled due to fraudulent information on my account this was a recording no phone number appeared should I contact SSA
Ann C.
Hi, Georgia. 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. We hope this helps.
Rodney H.
I received a phone call from someone saying their name was Officer Peter Johnson and that my SSI was being suspended because of fraudulent information. Then he kept asking for my social security number. I did NOT give it to him and wanted to report the call but the only place I could find to report it was for if I did give out my number. Do you guys want the info? Caller ID said 800 Service 800-666-5558, but gave me the number of 804-215-1985 when I asked for a call back number.
Ann C.
Thanks for checking in with us, Rodney. 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.
Diana G.
I have had several calls from supposedly the internal revenue service stating I owe you money. They seem to be scamming those people who lost homes in the camp fire in Paradise California. When I questioned them further about my Social Security number, they got scared and hung up. When they called back I told them they were not Social security. I blocked their calls. However they are very persistent. This seems to scare a lot of elderly people such as myself.
Ann C.
Hi, Diana. 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. We hope this helps.
Carlene A.
I have also been receiving calls/voicemails (1 from Lubbock, TX and 2 from Los Angeles so far) stating to not ignore the message as some “legal action will be taken against you”. So just out of curiosity I called one of the numbers and they answered “Social Security”. I did confront the person that answered and asked them what kind of scam they were running and then hung up. Naturally I got another phone call from them.
D.Stringfield
I have received several messages on my voicemail that I was going to be arrested for social security fraud and that I need to call them back before my case goes to federal court and I am arrested. I live in Rutherford County N. C. The number that showed up on my ID box was 833 301 0467 ….I assume it was a scammer trying to get my personal information.
Ann C.
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. We hope this helps.
B B.
I received a call this morning at 8 am, from a social security office representative requesting more information about my social security application. The caller insisted several times that I provide my social security number over the phone. I did not. The caller indicated that I was entitled to additional benefits and that I must provide my social security number if I wanted to hear about them. The caller provided a name. Mr. Mutima. Due to the number of scams reported, I did not provide personal information. He tried to convince and challenged my logic of not providing my number.
It’s very difficult to screen legitimate calls from illegitimate calls. The Soc. Sec. office should find an absolute way to communicate with the public safely.