Inspector General Warns Public About SSA Impersonation Schemes
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: July 16, 2018
The Acting Inspector General of Social Security, Gale Stallworth Stone, is warning citizens about ongoing Social Security Administration (SSA) impersonation schemes. SSA and the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) have recently received several reports of suspicious phone calls claiming to be from SSA.
In one case, an automated recording states the person’s Social Security number (SSN) “has been suspended for suspicion of illegal activity,” and the person should contact a provided phone number immediately to resolve the issue. The call concludes by stating if the person does not contact the provided phone number, the person’s assets will be frozen until the alleged issue is resolved. In another case, a caller claims to be from “SSA headquarters” and waits for the person to provide personal information, such as an SSN, address, and date of birth. In January, the OIG shared similar information from the Federal Trade Commission, which reported an increase in reports of suspicious phone calls from people claiming to be SSA employees.
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 should 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. “Be aware of suspicious calls from unknown sources, and when in doubt, contact the official entity to verify the legitimacy of the call,” 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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James C.
I’ve been contacted twice recently saying that they were an “officer” and my SS number has been compromised. I will call during business hours to verify. The number that contacted me was from Frenchtown New Jersey
908-628-0691
Eleen. C.
I received a call from a guy at around 12:44 pm today (Mar.1, 2019) from this number:1-866-404-5289 who claimed to be from SSA telling me that somebody is using my name for several cases which are questionable & not SSA will send me a replacement card so he asked for my complete name & address which I unconsciously gave him but when I told him that since I never entertain telephone calls of this nature, I told him to send a letter at my address so that I have written basis to contact SSA but the guy immediately cut off the call. I am reporting this to you because I am worried that my name will be used by this guy for illegal purposes. Thank you.
A.C.
Thanks for checking in with us, Eleen. Keep in mind 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 find additional information here. If you suspect identity theft, you should go to http://www.idtheft.gov and report the theft to the Federal Trade Commission or call 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338). We hope this helps!
Linda N.
I received a phone call from someone saying they were with S.S.legal department and I had something that I was being checked out for on my check.I’m sending you the ph.no.they called me on1-832-706-3948 if it helps Thanks for listening to me.Linda
A.C.
Thanks for letting us know, Linda. Suspicious calls should be reported to the Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-269-0271 or online. You can find additional information here. We hope this helps.
Rita J.
I received 2 phone calls on the same day. The phone number that showed up on my phone “Social Security” from Silver City, New Mexico. I didn’t listen to the whole conversation because I was afraid to stay on the phone for any length of time with this man who tried very hard to sound American but he definitely had a middle eastern accent.
The phone number was *** – ** – ***.
A.C.
Thanks for letting us know, Rita. 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 find additional information here. We hope this helps.
Annita W.
I received a call today saying I had criminal activity associated with my Social Security number, illegal drug trafficking, in Texas, with a fine up to $89,000, and 9 years in jail. He had my name, address, and wanted me to give him my SS number. I told him I I didn’t feel comfortable giving it over the phone, and told him he could send the police to come arrest me, then hung up.
The number was listed as 281 899 0417, he said he was Agent William James.
Peggy F.
Sir: I have been receiving calls lately from people saying they are calling from the Office of Social Security. All the numbers have been from out of state. I have called Life Lock and informed them. Which they greatly appreciated. These people said my SIS # is being used in Texas. Here are the following numbers, 315-201-0444 and 325-480-4510. Both these numbers have called several times
A.C.
Hi, Peggy. 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 find additional information here. We hope this helps.
Vera A.
I received a call on my cellular phone from someone saying they were from the SSI office and that I must call immediately since this was an important matter. The number appearing on my phone is 407 337-0510 and the recording said to call this number.
My e-mail address is verdadj@embarqmail.com
Thank you for checking into this matter
A.C.
Hi, Vera. 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 find additional information here. Just a reminder – please be cautious about posting personal information on social media. We hope this helps.
Martha N.
I am receiving auto calls about fraudulent activity on my social sec no. Caller says they are officer Kelley, legal action to be taken against me. I have freeze on my number due to info being stolen last year on tax day, info taken from our mailbox. calling from 559 884 5275
A.C.
Hi, Martha. Thanks for letting us know. We don’t 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. Check out our recent blog post on this topic for additional tips. We hope this helps.
Ron W.
I received a call this A.M. (02/21/19) stating that someone in Texas was using my SSnumber fraudulently.
I suspect this may be spam call in an attempt to obtain my SSN. The phone number that the caller left was 210-469-8113. The caller stated they worked for Social Security, however the number left appears to be a Jersey City, NJ. number
V.V.
Hi Ron, thank you for letting us know. If the caller is claiming to be from Social Security—it is critical that you pay attention to the tone and content of the message from the caller. In some cases, the caller states that Social Security does not have all of your personal information, such as your Social Security number (SSN), on file. Other callers claim Social Security needs additional information so the agency can increase your benefit payment, or they threaten that Social Security will terminate your benefits if they do not confirm your information. This appears to be a widespread issue, as reports have come from people across the country. These calls are not from Social Security.
If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from Social Security, we urge you to always be cautious and to avoid providing sensitive information such as your SSN or bank account information. Never reveal personal data to a stranger who calls you, and never send the stranger money via wire transfer or gift cards.
Social Security employees will never threaten you for information; they will not state that you face potential arrest or other legal action if you fail to provide information or pay a fee. In those cases, the call is fraudulent, and you should just hang up. If you receive these calls, report the information to the Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-269-0271 or online at oig.ssa.gov/report.
David H.
I have been scammed by a caller posing as a director of an office with Publishers Clearing House. The “director” told me that I had just won $1,500,000 plus a car. He needed my private bank account numbers, Social Security number,
Phone numbers, possible deposit banks for deposit on the PCH winning. I was told that everything would be kept from others.
After visiting our bank the next morning, the scammer started harassing our home with calls with phony numbers. If you need extra information, please contact me by email.
V.V.
Hi David, thank you for letting us know. If the caller is claiming to be from Social Security—it is critical that you pay attention to the tone and content of the message from the caller. In some cases, the caller states that Social Security does not have all of your personal information, such as your Social Security number (SSN), on file. Other callers claim Social Security needs additional information so the agency can increase your benefit payment, or they threaten that Social Security will terminate your benefits if they do not confirm your information. This appears to be a widespread issue, as reports have come from people across the country. These calls are not from Social Security.
If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from Social Security, we urge you to always be cautious and to avoid providing sensitive information such as your SSN or bank account information. Never reveal personal data to a stranger who calls you, and never send the stranger money via wire transfer or gift cards.
Social Security employees will never threaten you for information; they will not state that you face potential arrest or other legal action if you fail to provide information or pay a fee. In those cases, the call is fraudulent, and you should just hang up. If you receive these calls, report the information to the Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-269-0271 or online at oig.ssa.gov/report.