Is that Phone Call From Us?
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: August 19, 2021
It’s the morning of a busy day at home and you get a call from an unknown number. You answer only to find yourself on the receiving end of a threatening message saying your Social Security benefits will stop immediately unless you provide your personal information. It happens every day to thousands of Americans. And it’s not Social Security calling.
Scammers have many ways to lure their victims into providing information and then stealing their identities. Sometimes they call under a guise of helping you complete a disability application.
Protecting your information is an important part of Social Security’s mission to secure today and tomorrow. SSA employees occasionally contact citizens by telephone for customer-service purposes. In only a few special situations, usually already known to the citizen, an SSA employee may request the citizen confirm personal information over the phone. If you do receive a call from one of our representatives, they will provide you with a telephone number and extension.
The Acting Inspector General for Social Security, Gail Stallworth Stone, urges everyone to stay vigilant of impersonation schemes and to not be afraid to hang up.
You must always remember that you’re in control. Also remember that Social Security will never do any of the following:
- Call you to demand an immediate payment.
- Demand that you pay a debt without the ability to appeal the amount you owe.
- Require a specific means of payment, such as requiring you to pay with a prepaid debit card.
- Ask you for your personal information or credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
- Threaten you with arrest or deportation.
If you receive one of these scam calls or emails, do not provide them with any information. You should:
- Hang up immediately.
- For Social Security impersonations, contact Social Security’s Office of Inspector General at https://oig.ssa.gov/report.
If you receive a notice from Social Security, please use the telephone numbers provided in the notice sent to you. You can also call 1-800-772-1213 or visit ssa.gov for how to contact Social Security. Remember that scammers try to stay a step ahead of the curve. You can do the same by protecting your information.
Did you find this Information helpful?
See Comments
About the Author
Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications
Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications
Comments
Comments are closed.
diana f.
I received a call in Feb. from a Mr. Mutima saying he was from SS in North Carolina. Asked me questions to verify info from my application I had summited the week before to begin receiving my benefits. When he asked for my SS# I stopped and said I was not comfortable giving that online. He pursued for several minutes and when I said I didn’t want to give any more info out he gave me this number for me to call him back. 855-897-4927 ext. 27734. Is this a legit number to SS Office? Would I be asking to give my SS# over the phone from the SS Office. Will this delay my benefits?
Nataliya K.
Hello, we received a voice message saying “Your social security number will be suspended due to suspicious activity». It looks a lot like a fraud. The number on a caller Id was 1-800-442-1213.
How do we make sure it does not happen again?
A.C.
Hi, Nataliya. 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.
Linda S.
I am getting voice mail messages from 614-480-3056 instructing me to call them back and that my social security number is being used in scams. I am also advised to get a criminal attorney because I may be going to jail.
A.C.
Hi, Linda. 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. We hope this helps.
Jay C.
Please call me !!!!!!!!!!! I need my claim # !
A.C.
Hi, Jay. For your security, we do not have access to private information in this venue; therefore, we do not do direct calls. We ask that members in our Blog community work with our offices with specific questions. You can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., for assistance. Generally, you will have a shorter wait if you call later in the day. You can also contact your local Social Security office. We hope this helps.
Pandy M.
I just got a call from 716-320-9132 said they were ss to see if I can get disability as soon as I asked who they were they hung up and so I called back same thig was said but as soon as I asked they hung up. is this real?
thank you
Pandy
Kolloh N.
A call came to me today from 888-561-0110 informing me of a legal action being filed against me by the SSA for fraudulent activities on my SS#. Please reply to my email and confirm.
Thanks,
Kolloh
Joyce R.
call back 2818138710
A.C.
Hi, Joyce. Thanks for checking in with us. 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.
Kathryn D.
receiving phone calls from 575-479-7774 saying they are social security, I called back and someone did answer. Please check this out .
A.C.
Hi, Kathryn. 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 find additional information here. We hope this helps.
Lucretia B.
I received a phone call on my cell phone saying they were from the Social Security Administration saying they suspended my Social Security number because they found suspicious activity and to press one to find out more. I didn’t answer the phone they left a voicemail. this is the number, 1 225 240 7599. I’m sending message again to make sure you received it.
Lucretia B.
I received a call today saying this call is from the Department of
social Security Administration. The reason for this call is to inform you that we just suspeneded your social security number because we found some suspicious activity., so if you want to know about this case just press one. I didn’t answer the call they left a message. This is the number they called from 1-225-240-7599
A.C.
Thanks for letting us know, Lucretia. 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.