Scam Awareness
Reading Time: 1 MinuteLast Updated: August 19, 2021
Social Security is committed to protecting the information and resources entrusted to us, including your personal information and investment. However, scam artists might try to trick you into sharing your personal information or money. We’re here to help you identify and report these kinds of schemes.
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has a new web page with tips on how to protect yourself from theft schemes, how to report scams, and recent fraud advisories. This is in response to an ongoing phone scheme, where individuals receive a call with a recorded message claiming to be from the OIG.
The message states the individual’s Social Security account, Social Security number, frand/or benefits are suspended, and that they should call a non-Social Security phone number to resolve the issue. When the individual calls this number, an unknown person pressures them into providing money or gift cards to resolve a fabricated issue, such as a warrant for the individuals’ arrest. Social Security does not solicit your personal information over the phone or by email, or request advance fees for services in the form of wire transfers or gift cards. If anyone pressures you to provide personal information or money over the phone, just hang up.
If you suspect fraud, report it to the OIG on their website or by calling the Fraud Hotline at 1-800-269-0271.
For more than 80 years, Social Security has secured today and tomorrow by protecting what’s important to you. You can learn more about the tools we use to identify, prevent, and fight fraud here.
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About the Author
Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications
Jim Borland, Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications
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Ann
Is this the reason why that after a re-determination review that the SSA office that done your review now mails out certified, restricted deliveries?
Milton J.
Usually they barely speak English that’s first clue
Chad D.
What if your payee claims your account was frozen due to suspected fraud and was told by the agent that she needs to hold all moneys until the fraud is investigated? I know now that my account was never frozen. So was my payee scammed or is she the scammer. And if she scammed me how do I press charges and get my money?
Jeff
Law requires payees to use benefits properly.
If benefits are misused, the payee must repay the misused funds to the beneficiary. A payee convicted of misuse may be fined and/or imprisoned.
If you feel that benefits are being misappropriated, the Social Security Administration considers reports of fraud very seriously. The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) investigates instances of Social Security-related fraud, waste, and program abuse. You may report instances of potential fraud directly to OIG by one of the following methods:
— call toll-free: 1-800-269-0271
— send a FAX to 410-597-0118
— send Internet E-mail to
oig.hotline@ssa.gov
— write to
Social Security Administration
OIG Hotline
P.O. Box 17768
Baltimore, Maryland 21235
Be sure to include as much of the following information as you can:
— name, address, telephone number, and Social Security number (SSN) of the person suspected of fraud. If the SSN is unknown, include as much identifying information as possible, for example, the individual’s date and place of birth, father’s name, and mother’s birth name;
— a complete description of the potential fraud incident;
— your name, address, and telephone number (unless you wish to remain anonymous).
Without sufficient identifying information, OIG will be unable to act on your allegation.
Ray F.
Thank you for sharing this information, Jeff. We just want to remind our followers that for official information and announcements related to Social Security benefits or programs, they can go directly to our website: http://www.socialsecurity.gov. Also, to keep in mind that all announcement and answers that we provide through social media, contain our official seal. You’re right, we take allegations of fraud very seriously. If you suspect fraud, waste or abuse of Social Security benefits, we encourage you to report it. Please visit our Office of the Inspector General web page for complete information.
retiree
when these scammers call, tell them you work for the I.R.S .all you will hear is click.
April
Need to no if I have been scared April is on *** – ** – ****
Cassandra L.
Thank you for sharing your concerns.
Jen
I received a from someone stating they were from the IRS and that I owed money, lots of it and that an arrest warrant was already issued, to stop it I needed to fork over the requested amount, like close to 10,000! I did not and informed them that IRS doesn’t call and hung up, later told my brother about this and he called the number, ( he’s a jokester) They actually told him to wait a minute while they get “his file” then came back on and started the whole line with him, he played along for awhile, had a great time, then he asked them for a number or address as he was not going to purchase an itune card, which they did not give, they asked for his social security number, excuse me, my record from the IRS is right in front of you and you don’t know my SS number? LMAO these guys are just lower then dirt preying on folks, gesh! Never ever EVER give out social security number, bank infor nor purchase an itunes card or green card for anyone unless you mean it as a gift, they are scammers! This coming from the older generation, my generation has become to trusting unfortunately, that’s why they seem to be easy targets, Please folks IRS will not call, they will not ask you for information like social security number or bank account.
MJW
I too almost got scammed. Get this one, I first got a “friend” request through face book for text messaging. Then a couple of days later (in the wee hours) I got a message from this friend and she told me about a grant she had received ($90,000). All she had to do was make contact with a particular person (in the middle of the night???), leave a message for them and they would get back to me and tell me if I was qualified for this benefit. Well, knowing this person to be smart and having known her for almost 20 years I did get in touch with this person immediately. Low and behold that person got back in touch with me immediately and with my friend’s encouragement on-going, I went ahead and answered the questions. Of course I was qualified. All I had to do was come up with a certain amount of money to receive the “grant”. There was a list of amounts going from $1000 for $75,000 to $10,000 for over a million dollars!!!! All of this seemed …yeah you know it “to good to be true”, but my friend kept talking to me and I went through with the continued questions and etc. I told them I could not come up with the money and would have to wait until my SS came in next month. So, they ask me if I could come up with something so they could put a “hold” on the “grant” for me until then. Well I said I only have xx dollars. They said I could get a $25 I-tunes card and that would be fine. So, already much against my better judgement, but, my long-time friend said she had done that too and I got the card, scanned it and sent it to them via face book messenger. Well, then they wanted to know if I could not get a day loan and then they wanted the name of my bank and all my bells and whistles finally started going off. I said NO to the loan and did not respond to the name of my bank. I then figured out that it was not my friend who had messaged me. I got a message from face book that someone had accessed my account and I got the details of that and it was from Brazil!! I then went and found my friend on face book and she had been hacked. She was hacked on the same day these people contacted me. I went in and changed my face book password and will be contacting my bank (just in case) to change any information they may have acquired by accessing my computer. I feel like a complete idiot. I have been hacked before my opening an e-mail from a friend who had been hacked but nothing as SLICK as these guys. They really got lucky with me as the friend the chose to use as a contact is really a good friend and I obviously trusted her… only it was not her. Yeck… all I lost was $25.00 but it almost was a lot more. I am on a limited income and do not need to lose anything. I will be kicking myself for a long time for losing the amount I did, but very glad I did not lose more!! So, if anyone receives a message from a friend like I did, even as official as it may appear (and they even had a very realistic government face book page) please do not fall for it. Just check out of it and then immediately contact your real friend and let them know they have been hacked. It may save someone from disaster. I will be reporting this and hopefully the authorities can stop this. As I still have the information and the contact information.
hed
Sorry abut the frustration and stress you went through. Anyone that asks for money or gift cards to give you money is trying to scam you. You should have to give money to get money.
hed
I should say that you shouldn’t have to give money to get money.
Rodney J.
That same thing happened to me but before I reacted I asked my best friend to answer three questions about how he knows me he got mad and stopped texting me about this free grant you got to pay to get
Elizabeth J.
I am so overwhelmed I am disabled because of a hospital error overdosed me on anastasia and then morphine I died for 35min. Now I got a second disability review and it said that I could lose my benefits don’t you think my life is hard enough now I am stressed to the max that is not good for me and my brain.. I’ll be just another homeless person nobody cares about how can you think I’m not disabled after being dead for 35min. Please pray for me I’m strong but I’m getting very very weak..
Ray F.
Hi Elizabeth! We understand that a medical review can be stressful. The Social Security Administration conducts Continuing Disability Reviews from time to time to make sure you are still disabled, and we only evaluate factors that permanently affect your ability to work. Also, we obtain and consider medical evidence from your doctor or other medical sources, if needed. For other factors that we consider in reviewing your disability status, please read our publication, “What You Need to Know: Reviewing Your Disability”. We hope this helps.
ST
My Medicare card certainly does show my entire SSN. If new cards are available that do not have it, well, for one thing that makes no sense – how are doctors supposed to bill Medicare without knowing the number? – but if they do exist, surely Medicare might have shared that news item!
Tom H.
they did, things are changing.