Social Security and Scam Awareness
Reading Time: 1 MinuteLast Updated: November 16, 2023
Social Security imposter scams continue to be widespread across the United States. Scammers use targeted, sophisticated tactics to deceive you into providing sensitive information or money.
If you receive a suspicious letter, text, email, or call, do not respond. We want you to know how to identify a scammer and avoid becoming a victim.
We will NEVER:
- Text or email images of an employee’s official government identification.
- Suspend your Social Security number.
- Threaten you with arrest or other legal action unless you immediately pay a fine or fee.
- Require payment by retail gift card, wire transfer, internet currency, or cash by mail.
- Promise a benefit increase or other assistance in exchange for payment.
- Mail or email “official” letters or reports containing your personal information.
We only send text messages if you have opted in to receive texts from us and only in limited situations, including the following:
- When you have subscribed to receive updates and notifications by text.
- As part of our enhanced security when accessing your personal my Social Security account.
If you owe money to us, we will mail you a letter with payment options and appeal rights.
We encourage you to report suspected Social Security imposter scams — and other Social Security fraud — to the OIG’s website. You can find more information about scams on our webpage Protect Yourself from Scams. Please share this information with your friends, family, and colleagues to help spread awareness about Social Security imposter scams.
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Tags: fraud, my Social Security, scams
See CommentsAbout the Author
Dawn Bystry, Associate Commissioner, Office of Strategic and Digital Communications
Deputy Associate Commissioner, Office of Strategic and Digital Communications
Comments
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Maria
Hello I received this text message, is this a scam? The number is 8559523551
This is the Social Security Administration. Confirmation of your In Office appointment with the local office on Tue May 21st at 09:00am. DO NOT REPLY
S.D.
Hi, Maria. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. Generally, we will only contact you if you have ongoing business with us. And, we will only send you text messages and emails if you have agreed to receive them and only in limited situations. If you’re not sure a text or email came from us, DON’T respond or click on any links in the message. You can report the suspicious text here. Please continue to be vigilant. For more information, check out Protect Yourself from Social Security Scams. We hope this helps.
Norma P.
It is with a sense of disappointment that we communicate to you that your account has been temporarily suspended as of now in response to existing security concerns.
Let us center our attention on the assigned case ID. (CaseID: SSA-40905588)
For streamlined communication with our Investigation team, please have the Case ID readily available.
We appeal to your willingness to cooperate fully as your support is crucial in all aspects to achieve a timely resolution of the case.
We extend our sincerest thanks for your remarkable dedication.
Yours faithfully and respectfully,
Social Security Administration-Official-Team
United States of America
S.D.
Thanks for reading our blog, Norma. We do not suspend Social Security numbers. This message is likely a scam, and you can report it here. Generally, we will only contact you if you have requested a call or have ongoing business with us. To learn more about how to protect yourself from Social Security scams, check out our blog and webpage. We hope this helps.
Mary A.
I received a similar, almost word for word, email as Norma. Unfortunately, I sent a reply asking What does this mean? Only after I sent the reply did I see your blog that this is a scam. I plan to report this to OIG. Should I simply ignore further communications or is there something more I can do?
S.D.
Hi, Mary Ann. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. Generally, we will only contact you if you have ongoing business with us. And, we will only send you text messages and emails if you have agreed to receive them and only in limited situations. If you’re not sure a text or email came from us, DON’T respond or click on any links in the message. Please continue to be vigilant. For more information, check out our Protect Yourself from Social Security Scams webpage. We hope this helps.
Deb R.
Is this legit? Received an email: Your most recent-Statement is now available online for your review from no-reply-ssastatements-notifications-info@getresponse-mail.com on behalf of no-reply@SSATaxesCenter.G0V [no-reply@ssastatements-notifications.info] Your Social Security Statement is streamlined and easier to read than ever before. That is because we have redesigned the Statement to provide you the most useful information up front and at a glance. You can access your new Statement file to your account at : http://www.socialsecurity.gov/reviewyourstatement and then below has Password of your protected file is: and gives a number. I clicked on the link and it downloaded a zip file. I did not open it and deleted it.
John K.
Hi Deb,
I received this same email yesterday and wondered the same. It looked legit and I clicked on it and it downloaded the zip file to my iMac computer but my computer couldn’t open the file. Then I became suspicious and deleted. Hopefully we will hear a response from the SSA about this.
S.D.
Hi, John. Thanks for reading our blog and for your comments. Most emails from Social Security will come from a “.gov” email address. If an email address does not end in “.gov”, you should always use caution before opening attachments or clicking on pictures or links in the email. For more information, visit our Frequently Asked Questions. We hope this helps.
Linda H.
I got a similar message yesterday, but it included a “Password of your protected file” and an ID:0893627402277387-5790053312122906. Seemed dicey to me, so I didn’t click on any of the links. I assume it’s a scam, but sure looked legit!
S.D.
Hi, Deb. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. We will send an email once a year to remind you to review your online Social Security Statement. However, most emails from Social Security will come from a “.gov” email address. If an email address does not end in “.gov”, you should always use caution before opening attachments or clicking on pictures or links in the email. If you’re not sure an email or text came from us, DON’T respond to it or click on any links in the message. You can visit our Protect Yourself from Scams webpage to report the suspicious email and find more information. To learn more, visit our Frequently Asked Questions. We hope this helps.
Mo H.
I received a text message from phone #?833-588-1937 which reads:
Message From SSA:
Please call Karina Velasquez at 8552494175 ext.1021014042.
Is this a spam?
S.D.
Hi, Mo. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. Generally, we will only contact you if you have ongoing business with us. And, we will only send you emails and text messages if you have agreed to receive them and only in limited situations. If you’re not sure a text or email came from us, DON’T respond to it or click on any links in the message. Visit our Protect Yourself from Scams webpage to report the suspicious text and find more information. We hope this helps.
Bill F.
I received an email from this address: cpanel.mco26.prodns.mx. It claimed to be the SSA. Here is the text:
“Dear client;
Your Social Security Statement is streamlined and easier to read than ever before. That is because we have redesigned the Statement to provide you the most useful information up front and at a glance.
We encourage you to check your Statement at least once a year to review:
Your earnings record (to make sure itâs accurate and notify us if you see any errors);
Other useful information that will explain your benefits and help you prepare for your financial future; and
New fact sheets that provide additional information based on your specific criteria like age group and earnings situation.
You can access your new Statement by signing into your account at socialsecurity.gov/review/viewyourstatement.
Now that you can access your Statement instantly and anytime online, we will not automatically send one by mail.
We hope you find your new Statement useful and informative.” I just signed up for Social Security 2 days ago.
The email had an attachment and I clicked on it. There was nothing there. Is this legit? I am afraid I have been scammed.
S.D.
Hi, Bill. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. Most emails from Social Security will come from a “.gov” email address. If an email address does not end in “.gov”, you should always use caution before opening attachments or clicking on pictures or links in the email. If you have a personal my Social Security account, we send an email once a year to remind you to review your online Social Security Statement. If you’re not sure an email or text came from us, DON’T respond to it. You can report the suspicious email here. For more information, visit our Frequently Asked Questions. We hope this helps.
Zyonna B.
Received March 27th, 2024
Dear, [email]
We deeply regret to inform you that your Social Security number has been temporarily suspended due to the discovery of suspicious and illegal activities during our investigation.
Kindly direct your attention to the case ID provided. (CaseID: SSA-4162507040)
To ensure effective handling of your inquiry, kindly state the associated Case ID when contacting our Query Support team.
We strongly encourage your active participation and cooperation as your assistance is necessary to promptly solve the case.
We greatly appreciate your support and cooperation.
Thank you
Social Security Administration
USA
S.D.
Hi, Zyonna. Thanks for reading our blog. You can report the suspicious email here. Generally, we will only contact you if you have ongoing business with us. And, we will only send you emails and text messages if you have agreed to receive them and only in limited situations. If you’re not sure an email or text came from us, DON’T respond to it or click on any links in the message. For more information, check out our recent blog about our annual Slam the Scam Day held March 7. We hope this helps.
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Bob
I received a text message from 95342 with the link https://secure.ssa.gov/RIL and not sure it’s real. Will SSA please confirm?
C.B.
Hi, Bob. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. The text appears to be legitimate. However, please continue to be cautious. Any links you find within these text messages should always point to a “.gov/” web address. If you’re not sure a text came from us or one of our marketing firms, DON’T respond to it or click on any links in the text message. We hope this helps.
Dr. H.
I received an email from support@no-replyssastatements.com but cannot tell if this is legitimate or not.
C.B.
Hi, Dr. HC. Thanks for using our blog. Most emails from Social Security will come from a “.gov” email address. If an email address does not end in “.gov”, use caution before opening attachments or clicking on pictures or links in the email. Currently, Social Security sends emails from noreply@ssa.gov, subscription.service@subscriptions.ssa.gov, ThankYou@ssa.gov, DoNotReply@ssa.gov, and echosign.com. In a few instances, we use marketing firms to raise awareness of Social Security’s online services, and this includes creating a personal my Social Security account. We allow these firms to send email directly to individuals. Any links you find within these emails should always point to a “.gov/” web address. We hope this information is helpful.
MSA
I rec’d an email from
entitled “Your Social Security Statement is now available.” It has an attachment to download.
MSA
from
MSA
from email keeps erasing after I submit. Sorry. jnogan AT ecsc.k12.in.us
S.D.
Thanks for reading our blog and for your comment. If you have a personal my Social Security account, we send an email once a year to remind you to review your online Social Security Statement. For more information, visit our Frequently Asked Questions. Most emails from Social Security will come from a “.gov” email address, including no-reply@ssa.gov. If an email address does not end in “.gov”, you should always use caution before opening attachments or clicking on pictures or links in the email. We hope this helps.
Raimi G.
Received a similar email today from an email address Cyber_Security_Chief_Investigator-DGRTJ87KN5343 <oliver.armando.616361@gmail.com that reads
Attention Dear!
Regrettably, your Social Security number has been temporarily suspended due to the discovery of suspicious and illegal activities during our investigation.
We would like to draw your attention to the following case ID. (CaseID: SSA-3597240748)
The above Case ID needs to presented while contacting to our Query Support team.
We stress the importance of your cooperation as it is indispensable to swiftly solve the case in every possible way.
We deeply appreciate your invaluable support and collaboration.
As soon as I seen attention dear! I knew the ssa would not address someone as dear! I know I shouldn’t have but I’m a person that likes to investigate scams, so I called the number provided and they really answered the phone saying social security administration. I spoke with an individual and told him I know this is a scam. I emailed back and said the same thing. That e mail address is also suspicious because no way oliver.armando.616361@gmail.com is an email associated with the ssa. Even I have a specific work email address.
With utmost respect,
Social Security Administrator
Baltimore-USA