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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Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications
Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications
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john r.
I received the following message on my phone: “We need to talk to you as soon as possible. Again this call is from Social Security Administration number to reach department is 512-871-1073. I repeat it’s 512-871-1073. Thank you.”
Please confirm this is a scam attempt?
A.C.
Thanks for checking in with us, John. 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.
Larry L.
Trying to report a scam phone call to the SSA is a complete JOKE. I received a phone call from the following number 1-866-331-8135 that said the police were confiscating my social security card immediately, and I needed to press one to talk with a representative, or call the number back and talk with someone. I of course did neither, but have been trying to contact social security to inform them and see if it was at all legit, which I was sure it wasn’t. But reporting that, or talking with someone from Social Security is a lost cause. I would think that you would have a system in place to help older people when they get calls like this, most are conused enough without going through the hoops SSA makes you go through to get help. By the way, I am 80 years old and get upset when I have to go through so many menus and still don’t see one that will help.
A.C.
Hi, Larry. We are sorry to hear about your frustration. 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 also report these scams to the Federal Trade Commission through a new site specific to Social Security scams, here. We hope this helps.
theresa o.
me and my husband got a call from someone saying they we’re social security it was a recording saying that our ss# had been suspended because of secpious activity with our numbers I just wanted to know if it was social security administration calling us the phone # was 1-530-797-6997
A.C.
Hi, Theresa. 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.
Dale
+15307975679 was the number used to leave a recorded message saying there was suspicious activity with my SS number. Asking to press 1. Promptly I check on the web for simliar calls and used this website to inform me of the scams used to obtain information.
A.C.
Hi, Dale. 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.
Edna R.
The scam form asks for a lot of information I don’t have about the scam calls.
I don’t answer them, but they leave messages, one threatening to have me arrested. Same scam from two or more numbers.
1-443-522-0239
1-469-521-0404
A.C.
Thanks for letting us know, Edna. 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.
Sharon I.
I have been getting phone calls from people saying they are from SSA saying they have a warrant for my arrest for fraudulent activity and money laundering the numbers are from 1 866 658 7050 and1 415 322 7439 this has been going on for about a month now should I talk to them or not thank you sharon
A.C.
Thanks for checking in with us, Sharon. 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.
James (.
This morning at 7:17 AM, Arizona time, I received a phone call from 833-357-8304 from a person claiming to be from SSA . I was not able to take the call at the time; however, I did call back shortly thereafter, and got the response of “thank you for calling SSA, I am so & so , badge # —-, and we have info that your SS card has been compromised.” I had a difficult time understanding what she was saying. I thought she said she would call me back but I never heard anything.I called back several hours later with the same type of response as above.
Still difficult to understand but not as bad. After some further info in which she had my address and place of residence. she asked me to verify my SS #. ” I told her to tell me what she had for my number and I would verify that.” She said that she could not help me unless I gave her the number. I refused and she hung up.
A.C.
Hi, Jim. 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.
Norman R.
I just received a call from 234-567-8900. They stated my social security benefits will be stop if I don’t press a number and talk to a agent, because of suspicious activity on my account.
A.C.
Hi, Norman. 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.
Linda S.
My husband, daughter and I all received fraudulent calls from this number
1-800-172-4213
several times in the past week.
Lynne W.
I just got a scammer type call from a 1-888 number with a recorded message saying my social security was in jeapardy. I hung up and tried to call the number back and it said it was a Jeep dealership.
A.C.
Hi, Lynne. 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.