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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Melinda B.
received phone call from “investigation department” the social security admin. tele# 1(512) 193-8152. I hung up. the voice was a recording, female. stop these idiots please.
L.A.
Hi Melinda. Thanks for checking in with us. We do not usually make random calls. If anyone receives calls saying 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 site specific to Social Security scams, here. We hope this helps.
Barbara G.
I have received 3 calls so far today with a recording saying my social security number will be suspended due to sketchy use????? I did not answer the phone or call back the number which was a local number. Doe SSA ever call with a message like this?
L.A.
Hi Barbara. Thanks for checking in with us. We do not usually make random calls. If anyone receives calls saying 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 site specific to Social Security scams, here. We hope this helps.
Freda A.
When we receive this garbage are we to forward that message to you?
L.A.
Hi Freda. Thanks for checking in with us. We do not usually make random calls. If anyone receives calls saying 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 site specific to Social Security scams, here. We hope this helps.
Jim H.
I received a call this morning from 206-430-6864 that was a phishing scam supposedly from SSA. We did not answer.
L.A.
Hi Jim. Thanks for checking in with us. We do not usually make random calls. If anyone receives calls saying 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 site specific to Social Security scams, here. We hope this helps.
James B.
I just received a call from this number 8005296561. If this is Issa, please call again. If not I am reporting scam call.
Robert W.
I have created an account but forgot my password and one or more of the secondary questions that I have answered must be wrong.
I need to speak to someone to to reset and correct my account.
I have a meeting with SS tomorrow and have to fill out forms online before the meeting.
Thank you
Robert W.
I have created an account but forgot my password and one or more of the secondary questions that I have answered must be wrong.
I need to speak to someone to to reset and correct my account.
I have a meeting with SS tomorrow and have to fill out forms online before the meeting.
Thank you
L.A.
Hi Robert. We are sorry to hear that you are having difficulty accessing your personal my Social Security account. If you are still unable to access your account or encounter another problem with your personal my Social Security account, you may:
•Call us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. At the voice prompt, say “helpdesk”; or
•Contact your local Social Security office. We hope this helps.
Ruby
I got a phone call and a message from 1.443.205.1638 (Cambridge, MD) representing SSA. Representing you to collect money that I own. i KNOW IS A SCAM.
L.A.
Hi Ruby. Thanks for checking in with us. We do not usually make random calls. If anyone receives calls saying 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 site specific to Social Security scams, here. We hope this helps.
pamela b.
I keep receiving fraud calls stating my social security number has been suspended from phone # 1-857-406-3623
L.A.
Hi Pamela. Thanks for checking in with us. We do not usually make random calls. If anyone receives calls saying 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 site specific to Social Security scams, here. We hope this helps.
Peter T.
At 2:29 PM a call came in from 205 761-0528 saying my SS had become involved in a legal proceeding and I should return the call. This is the second such call, and the first was reported in June.
I suspect fraud, but would like to know since legal action was mentioned. In neither call did I disclose any account or personal information, and in both cases they hung up.
L.A.
Hi Peter. Thanks for checking in with us. We do not usually make random calls. If anyone receives calls saying 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 site specific to Social Security scams, here. We hope this helps.