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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Tomekia R.
I received a phone call/message today informing me that my SSN was in danger of being revoked. I called the number back and spoke with a young man with a think Indian accent, named Jerald. The number was 210-346-0200
L.A.
Hi Tomekia. 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 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.
Franklin W.
I received a letter in the mail stating that I took money out of my 401k in 2007 and did not pay the taxes and this is true but my recollection and that I had a month to come up with the money, I’m pretty sure I paid whatever I owed at the time and figured if this is real I will owe the money at the end of the year or it will be taken out of my check by the US government at some point. I work a lot and don’t have much time to look into these matters about and do it was about a month later I received a call saying my social security has been suspended. I was hoping for a quick check or something on this page to put this to rest but after reading this article I’m still not satisfied can you help. I do not have phone service currently where I’m working for the next two weeks so all my responses will be done after hours at the hotel.
A.C.
Hi, Franklin. Unfortunately, but your security, we do not have access to private information in this venue. We ask that members in our Blog community work with our offices with specific questions. You can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., for assistance. Generally, you will have a shorter wait if you call later in the day. You can also contact your local Social Security office. We hope this helps.
Stephen P.
I am getting 3-4 calls a day lately with a recorded message that due to suspicious activity my ss# is being cancelled and benefits stopped. I hang up without responding. Who are these people?
Robyn R.
I got a call from Maryland saying that I’m going to go to prison if I don’t pay them I have never lied to the socal security office in my life so who am I going to jail???
A.C.
Thanks for checking in with us, Robyn. 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.
Rafael A.
I called 1-800-772-1213 to report a fraudulent call and found no option in the menu to report a fraudulent phone call; I could not speak with a representative either.
In my opinion, attempting to report scammers is a waste of time and I suggest ssa.gov to direct all victims not to report scammers.
DEBORAH S.
TRYING TO CONTACT SS FROM CANADA
800 NUMBER DOES NOT WORK
NEED TO FIND MY CLAIM NUMBER FOR WITH HOLDING TAXES
A.C.
Hi, Deborah. Since you are living outside of the U.S. you can contact your local Federal Benefits Unit for any assistance related to Social Security benefits. Also, our Office of International Operations home page provides more information to assist our customers living abroad. We hope this helps.
Gayle B.
I have applied for Soc Security. “my Social Security” Status Page says my Admin office is Boston. I live in Arizona. I got a call and an email from someone claiming to be working on my case – their number is 866-964-7317. They want me to fax info to a Boston tel number within 13 days. I don’t know if they are legit. I called 1-800-772-1213 and they don’t appear to know but they say I would receive a letter not an email. If I don’t fax the info I could be denied Soc. Security for not supplying all info. What can I do? Please help.
A.C.
Hi, Gayle. We’re sorry, but we do not have a list of all of the possible phone numbers that Social Security uses. What we can tell you is that we do not usually make random calls. If someone calls you saying that they are from Social Security, do not give them your personal information. Instead, contact your local Social Security office or call 1-800-772-1213 to see whether we really need any information from you. We hope this helps.
John A.
I received a call saying my Social Security Number had been cancelled because it has been compromised. I hung up. the number was (416) 077-3996
John A.
I received a call saying my Social Security Number had been cancelled because it has been compromised. I hung up.
A.C.
Hi, John. 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.
Forrest E.
9-29-19
To whom this may concern: Have been receiving messages left on cell phone voice-mail from 916-2998424 demanding I contact them right away concerning misuse of funds, and I have been named..They claim I must contact them before contacted by lawyers… Tough talk. 916 area code is northern California – Keep me posted,
Cordially,
Forrest Edwards Albright
Palm Desert California
L.A.
Hi Forest. 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.