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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Frances B.
I received a call from SSA telling me that my S.S.N. had been suspended because of suspicious activities. This was left on my voice mail. The number on my phone was not even a phone number I don’t think. It is +86 6248962. Please let me know if this is from the SSA. or not
A.C.
Hi, Frances. 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.
Tatyana
I just got a phone call telling me that my social security number has been suspended. The phone number they called from was 646-481-5936. I knew they were defrauding me, but others may not. I am not sure where I can forward this phone number, but I am hoping you may know. Please make sure no one get scammed.
A.C.
Thanks for checking in with us, Tatyana. 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. Thanks, again.
Leo C.
You write “If you receive a notice from Social Security, please use the telephone numbers provided in the notice sent to you.” But the person receiving the notice can’t know if it is from Social Security or from a scammer. The simplest solution would seem to be for Social Security on its website to provide a way to check if a number really is owned by SSA – you could include on this page either a link to a list of all numbers that actual Social Security representatives ask people to call, or if that is considered problematic, provide a special search box into which people could type a phone number and get a yes/no answer on whether the number is actually owned by SSA (and you could protect this search against bots if that is deemed necessary). Either solution should be very simple to implement (and to update as SSA adds or changes phone numbers). That nothing like this has been done up to now is very perplexing, but very helpful to the scamming community.
gloria r.
got a call from a recorded message saying that the ss office had to suspend my ss number because of suspicious activity.?
the number is 888-197-9652
i did not repond went strait to this website. i believe this is a scam.
David H.
I got a call from a Texas number and than a Pennsylvania number and on my answer machine a woman named Peggy Barnes left a number 855-249-4342 ext 2085616 is she legit strange two oddball phone number David Hammond
feeblefarmall@gmail.com
WILLIAM M.
Just received a “social security “ call from
518-735-3640
Just FYI
A.C.
Thanks for letting us know, William. 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. Thanks again for helping us fight fraud.
Ruth K.
Received a phone message 6/27/2019 recording said “Social Security Administration. The reason you have received this phone call from our department is to inform you there is a legal enforce attached and filed on your social security number for criminal activities. So when you get this message, kindly revert as soon as possible on our number that is 205-293-3647 before we begin with the legal proceedings. Thank you.”
A.C.
Hi. 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. Thanks, again.
Robert T.
I am receiving phone calls from 808-205-5564 (the last 4 digits change as I block the number) every day saying that my SS benefits have been suspended.
A.C.
Hi, Robert. 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 that helps.
Warren E.
I need the last 3 years statements (2016-17-18) that show what SSA paid in order to file my taxes for the past 3 years.Warren E. SS Number= *** – ** – ***
Moses
I received a call to call back or I was going to be arrested. By my social security number in the next two hours. Please get back with me so I can address this issue.
Moses lee bellamy
A.C.
Hi, Moses. 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. Thanks, again.