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.
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About the Author
Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications
Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications
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Maureen G.
I received a feud call about my as I have the return number
Norman E.
HELP I can’t get through on the phone, can’t stand in line at the local SS office for 8 hours waiting for an opening, have been denied access to set up an account, what do I do, as it pertains to my monthly direct deposit? HELP
R.F.
You can speak to a Social Security representative for help with a my Social Security account between the hours of 7 a.m. and 12 midnight (Eastern Time), Monday through Friday.
Toll-free: 1-800-772-1213 After you hear “Briefly tell me why you are calling,” please say “Help Desk” for help with a my Social Security account.
Note: Although our regular telephone service representatives are not available after 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, our Help Desk representatives can assist you until 12:00 midnight Eastern Time.
TTY (for deaf or hard of hearing) 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.: 1-800-325-0778
* You can also use our automated telephone services to get recorded information and conduct some business 24 hours a day.
We hope this helps!
Jada
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Natasha
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JOHN
i have called you 5 times .i am having trouble logging on.i asked twice to clear my account so i can add new account ..they said they would do that,…never happened. i cannot log in…call me ..john g blumer sewickley pa 412-780-1945,,thanks
Nabila
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ron k.
I was at my local Social Security office and started to record the agent’s answer to my inquiry and the agent stopped the meeting and had me removed from the office. What did I do wrong.
Peter J.
I just made a phone appointment with Social Security to apply for my benefits. Does this mean I am to call Social Security on the appointment date or they will call me? I neglected to ask and don’t want to wait for a call if I am the one that is supposed to make the call. I wasn’t provided with a number to call so I assumed SS was to call me.
Demos L.
I got a call last week from 703-361-0290 saying I was set up with a face to face meeting at the Manassas, VA office on 1/10 to discuss representative payee. This was because I was just beginning to receive retirement payments and I was already a representative payee for my wife. The recording gave me a number to call, 855-210-0123. I eventually talked to a man from “that office” who said the appointment was a mistake. I told him since I’m my wife’s representative payee and I’ve been filling out her reports, that I don’t need a representative payee for myself.
Today, I got two calls messages from Boston (617-227-1929) about the same thing. The lady on the recording never mentioned my name, nor my wife’s. The message said for me to contact 866-964-7317 x29286.
Are any of the phone numbers I mentioned above legit? Why am I being called instead of getting letters? Why would the Boston office call me?
Thanks.
Dorothy S.
Why did Medicare payments for retires jump 25.00? 109.00 to 134.00.
R.F.
For Medicare Part B -premiums information, see “Medicare 2017 & 2018 costs at a glance“. Thanks!