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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e b.
I just received a call from a man saying he was from the social security office, and wanted to talk about my husbands/ my retirement benefits. Was this a legitimate call? The man, stating his name was Aaron Fields gave the phone number of 1-800-842-0588 ext. # 34618. I told him my husband was unavailable and to leave a name and number to return his call.
Did I do the right thing? Or was this indeed someone from the social security office?
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. We hope this helps.
ROBERT &.
We have received several recorded messages saying our soc. sec account has fraudulent activity and our account may be closed. It has not asked for our information, we just hang up. How can we stop the calls?
E B.
Phone from 888-965-1361 left a message on my cell telling me my ssn has been cancelled. Please press 1 for more info. Addressed self from the SSA. No name or anything. Left me a message. I deleted everything.
Bobbie B.
I have received a few voicemails from someone pretending to be from social security, inwhich I did not respond to the call. I knew that you do not call out to anyone about such important matters inwhich they were trying to contact me. Please if you have anything of matters that I should be aware of,please contact me through my email address below. Thank you for your time. I would like to do my business with you online, but have not been successful with getting my pass word to work with my User ID # that was given when I first open my account online. Please help me with this. Thank you again. Sincerely, Bobbie Boone
Shawn H.
My father has received a threatening phone call twice in the last two days, stating it was the SS department!
The latest number today is the following –
704 565 7982
Please, will someone official look into this.
Thank you!
Sandra A.
I’ve had 4 phone calls this morning telling me there is fraud on my Social Security number. They all had foreign accents. The numbers they called from are:
806-319-7753 – twice 9:17 am & 9:59 am
844-247-5123 – twice. 8:48 am & 9:26 am
A.C.
Hi, Sandra. 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!
Doug A.
My wife just fell victim to a scam,and gave them her ss number,what can i do to protect us against the upcoming attempts to axcess our lives
A.C.
Hi, Doug. If she suspects someone is using her Social Security number, she 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). In addition, she can order free credit reports annually from the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and Trans Union). To order her credit report, she can go to http://www.annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228. For more information, check out our publication, Identity Theft And Your Social Security Number . We hope this helps.
Cindy T.
I called social security and no one answered. NO HELP!!!!!!
A.C.
Hi, Cindy. We are sorry to hear about your experience. If you still need assistance, you can click “Get Help” in your personal my Social Security account to “Ask a Question”. Click “Talk to an Expert” for a call back. We hope this helps.
Susan M.
I received a call saying my social security number was being suspended immediately due to suspected fraud. Press one (1) to talk to a member. ((I hung up)) The number that showed up was 868-027-0441
Caroline R.
I am concerned about the authenticity of this website. This is the first time I can recall that SS ever contacted me by email. I did not even know you HAD my email.
Please reply.
Caroline McVitty