Inspector General Warns Public About SSA Employee Impersonation Scheme
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: August 19, 2021
The Acting Inspector General of Social Security, Gale Stallworth Stone, is warning citizens about a new Social Security Administration (SSA) employee impersonation scheme. SSA and its Office of the Inspector General (OIG) have recently alerted citizens about an OIG employee impersonation scheme and a scheme targeting former clients of Kentucky disability attorney Eric Conn; the agencies are now receiving reports from citizens across the country about other phone calls from an individual posing as an SSA employee. The caller attempts to acquire personally identifiable information from victims to then edit the victims’ direct deposit, address, and telephone information with SSA.
The reports indicate that the impersonator calls from a telephone number with a 323 area code. The caller claims to be an SSA employee, and in some instances, tells the victim that they are due a 1.7 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increase of their Social Security benefits. The impersonator goes on to ask the victim to verify all of their personal information including their name, date of birth, Social Security number (SSN), parents’ names, etc. to receive the increase. If the impersonator is successful in acquiring this information, they use it to contact SSA and request changes to the victim’s direct deposit, address, and telephone information.
SSA employees occasionally contact citizens by telephone for customer-service purposes. In only a few limited special situations, usually already known to the citizen, an SSA employee may request the citizen confirm personal information over the phone. 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.
Acting Inspector General Stone continues to warn 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. “You must be very confident that the source is the correct business party, and your information will be secure after you release it,” Stone said.
If a person has questions about any communication—email, letter, text or phone call—that claims to be from SSA or the OIG, 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. (Those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can call Social Security’s TTY number at 1-800-325-0778.)
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Tags: fraud, Inspector General, Office of the Inspector General, OIG
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Andrew Cannarsa, OIG Communications Director
Andrew Cannarsa, OIG Communications Director
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Greggory"Joe ".
Hello to you all,I’m sorry I did’nt have time to read the article,please forgive,plus perhaps I have a present for you,in the near future is most rewarding possible,please imagine with much delight,please,it will happen!I’d like to say that I’ve say that I PI and Detective for the following,so that I would like an increase that I should be listed as a Vision-Disability instead of the above,plus her are the listed:The Oklahoma Human Rights,The United States Secret Service,The Texas Rangers Law Enforcement Admin.,The El Paso,Tx.Drug Enforcement Adminstration,The United Nations,The Scotland Yard(England),The Texas Auditor’s Office,The United States Air Force,plus all associated U.S.Military Branches,Superior,Wis.City Police Dept.,and all the Metrpolex of DFW,plus El Paso,Tx.,Police Dept.,Plus The United States Pentagon,recently,plus if all those e-mails checks out to be The World Record,plus that a majority that may have repaired The National Deficit,and if I don’nt get a raise or Badge brought to me by Squad Car,because who sucked up my rewards and badges that I never received which is none at all,= I’ll move out of This Country,plus I think that my Vision-Disability Monthly check should be around $5,000.00 per month,and probably The Texas Governor thinks I’m suppose to get a Lawyer to fix it=,I’m a broke person plus,excuse the profanity+What the fuck about my Docket Decree Fianancial Restition never received,I’m insisting on North Carolina Procedure to receive Fiancial Restitution,1st presentation date:5-18-08,that is if my check is this sorry amount of $735.00 per month,and I don’t receive an increase because of some People Baron or People Baronhood Psyco-Destiny control of the mother-fucker money printing machines,if there’s no increase this month and it’s not’s straighten up,then Fuck you to The U.S.A.,and I’ll move to another Country,Ps.The U.S. Air Force never heard of me,or The U.S.Pentagon either,plus if I move I rag out The U.S.A.like all of it some piece of shit to bi-pass,forever,plus I’m really a Jr. Sr.Citizen,I can leave a raggedy fuck,and how dare you get cocky,if I use profanity or insults,please check my computer-record on Investigations,plus never paid = Politicain fuck assy sorry shit,what’s your problem,plus this maybe the only and last e-mail to you all,-thanks.Birthdate:6-28-65,(last no.: of Soc.Sec.Admin.:7553)vision-disabilty,plus who and the fuck is the audio iillegal propaganda fuck-wad shit here in the City of El Paso,Texas,plus I hate Star Trek,them motherfuckers are to Terroristic,plus don’t sweat the profanity,it’s modern-day Novels all the time,+no increase this month I move to another Counrty and keep your bread-crum string out check,see gave a fuck,plusw I know your fucking asses were prompt and you receive a pay-off to user ditcher,loser,cruiser my Human-Endangerment,plus are The Police Dept.,in The U.S.A. really some fuck-assy Gestapo? I don’t have time to proofread!
John W.
Why would anyone need to do direct medicare payments, when the pament is already deducted from our Social security check?
Patti
There was an attempt on my computer in March of my computer in March. I had to change my bank accounts. I still get calls randomly four to five times a day. I had to change the phone number and still get calls.
SH
On Saturday, I received a call from a different 800 number from someone who claimed he was from Social Security. Since I recently applied for benefits online, I thought maybe it was legitimate, but I called the 1-800-772-1213 number above just to be careful. After waiting on hold for over 15 minutes, the Social Security customer service person said that they were unable to verify anything, that they don’t make calls on Saturdays, and I should call my local social security office or the Office of the Inspector General to report fraud.
R.F.
SSA employees occasionally contact citizens by telephone for customer-service purposes. 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.
SH
After I posted my comment, I googled the number and found it to be the Chicago Social Security Office. Upon re-reading my Social Security benefit filing material, I learned that Chicago is my field office (even though I live in Minnesota) and that they do contact people on weekends and in the evening. The call was legitimate, and the Customer Service Office 1-800-772-1213 did not provide accurate information to me. It doesn’t hurt to be careful.
Jackie
I’d theft is so prevalent and devastating. Wonder why social security is still issuing Medicare cards with your social security number for anyone and everyone to see. There seems to be no urgency to replacing these cards with random numbers linked to your social security number (only linked in social security databases) even though it’s a cheap paper card, and identity theft is rampant for seniors. This is an urgent problem!
hildegarde
I hear that’s going to change and everyone will be receiving a new Medicare card with a new number. It couldn’t happen too soon!
kelly
Especially if your already second guessing yourself
kelly
If you did not initiate the call then dont verify any info if you feel the call is for real tell then they already have info and you wont verify anything. Hang up. Ssa should not have a reason to call you unless you already initiated a call for some kind of info kr help. Besides that i dong know any gov. Agency that takes time out of their busy day to tell you they owe you money if they owe you and pay you they will just direct deposit just like every month you get paid and send you a letter telling you why you got another deposit that month. Dont be stupid in becoming a victim. The process of getting paid is confusing enough but a learning tool. They never just call. Trust no one!
R.F.
SSA employees occasionally contact citizens by telephone for customer-service purposes. 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.
P. C.
a co-worker actually had someone from SSA call him because they feared someone else had opened an account in his name and was drawing HIS SS. As it turned out the call was real because the caller had all HIS info. He gave them none. The perp had the ss $ going directly into an account so there was no check with a name on it. They put a stop on the 3rd check and got everything straightened out. The co-worker was also told not to open an account for a couple months to be sure it was all taken care of. These people are not stupid. But I wish they would use their brains for a real job instead of scamming people.
joanne
I’ve never had one from Dell, but I’ve had several from the “Windows” company. I tell them they must be confused, because I don’t have a computer. They hang up but that doesn’t stop others from calling. There are supposedly hundreds of computer “cafes” all over Africa which is where most of these calls come from. I have also told some of them that there is no “windows” company, it’s microsoft, you dummy!
Lesly F.
IN MY COMMENTS.THOSE CHEFT NEED TO KNOW THEIR CAN’T STEEL MONEY FROM SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION.BY CALLING INOCENT PEOPLE I THINK THEIR HAVE TO PUNISH BY FEDERAL LAW OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICAN BECAUSE WE THE PEOPLE.
Daby W.
I immigrated and live in USA, Modesto, CA for over sixteen years. This kind of scam happens everywhere. It is like people robbing window display and fire the store. I personally have experience different kind of scam in several industry or firm. But the most dramatic and ridiculous is housing authority, the voice sound like transgender, male or female , I am not sure, keep on asking for your personal information until the end, you might found something strange and when you ask them back , they say bad words. This kind of people thing they are special, but I think they need to see doctor in mental illness, they are sick.
In this Social Security Agency newsletter is great, always has people monitor, that help a lot , a lot better. I hope more peace come and evil thought go away.
I think this all thing is low and very low income people make it up. This kind of people needs a lot , a lot of effort to teach them civil laws, and educate them to be a responsible citizens. A lot of ours will help, but when will it stop.