Frauds & Scams, Social Security Number and Card

Use These Scam Tools to Spot Fraud

March 17, 2022 • By

Reading Time: 1 Minute

Last Updated: November 2, 2023

Senior African American couple using laptop, contemplatingOn March 10, we held our annual National Slam the Scam Day to raise awareness of Social Security-related scams and other government imposter scams. In case you missed it, here are our top tools and resources for this year:

  1. Check out our Fraud Prevention and Reporting page to learn about Social Security fraud – and how we fight scammers.
  1. Read our Scam Alert factsheet to learn what tactics scammers use and how to protect yourself.
  1. Create your own personal my Social Security account to stay one step ahead of fraudsters. Please read our blog post for more information about creating or signing in to your personal my Social Security account.
  1. Learn about other types of fraud on our Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) Scam Awareness page. You’ll also see how to report these scams to our OIG and other government agencies.
  1. Read our blog post to learn how to guard your Social Security card – and protect your personal information.

You can also check out the Federal Trade Commission’s page, Avoiding and Reporting Scams, for additional scam-related information.

We encourage you to watch the replay below of our Facebook Live from March 10 about Social Security-related scams and other government imposter scams. Please share these scam resources with your friends and family—and help us spread the message on social media. Let’s continue to Slam the Scam together!

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About the Author

Dawn Bystry, Associate Commissioner, Office of Strategic and Digital Communications

Deputy Associate Commissioner, Office of Strategic and Digital Communications

Related Articles

Guard Your Card: Protect What’s Important to You

Slam the Scam: How to Spot Government Imposters

Tax Season: What To Know If You Get Social Security or Supplemental Security Income

my Social Security: What to Know about Signing Up or Signing In

Comments

  1. Susan R.

    I filed for disability when I was 27 .I was denied. 12 years later in 2007 I reapplied and was approved. I got a lump sum payment of 2300$ for back pay. My daughter who was 14 at the time got nothing.
    10 years later I became my own payee. And have come across so crazy stuff. I was told I had reapplied in 2003 and 2005 and got denied. I was told that my check was started in June of 2006.i was told I had an extra payment of 3740$ in 2018 ( I never saw) my name was changed in Jan. 2006 ,I didn’t do it.
    I have told the Dyersburg Tn. SS office as well as Jackson TN. Office . I’ve told the people I talk to on the 800# .I’ve called the OIG but was never contacted . Everyone one just keeps on talking , like none of that mattered. Also Ms. Cunningham at the Dyersburg Tn office fired me and gave my case to another worker when I informed her the calls were being recorded on my end too.

  2. John R.

    I received this email today. Is it legitimate?

    DoNotReply@ssa.gov
    To:
    jkjr456@yahoo.com

    Wed, Mar 30 at 2:25 PM

    Dear JOHN RALPH KELLY, JR

    Please call our office before Thursday, March 31, 2022 and ask for . The telephone number is 510-970-2894. We need to talk to you about:

    Reviewing your earnings record

    Benefits your spouse or children may be able to receive.

    When you call our office, please have this letter with you. It will help us to serve you more quickly.

    Social Security Administration

    • Ann C.

      Hi, John. Thanks for visiting our blog. We are sorry but we do not have access to all the possible telephone numbers Social Security uses. Additionally, if you are not certain that an e-mail you received came from Social Security DO NOT click the links. You can contact your local Social Security office to see whether we really need any information from you. We hope this helps.

  3. Omi B.

    I got an email from ssa.comments@ssa.gov is this an official email or am I being scammed?

    • Ann C.

      Hi, Omi. Thanks for your question. In a few instances, we will use marketing firms to help raise awareness of Social Security’s online services, and this includes creating a my Social Security account. We allow these firms to send emails that will take individuals directly to our website. Any links that you find within these emails should always point to a “.gov” web address. If you are not certain that an email you received came from Social Security or one of our marketing partners, DO NOT click the links.Visit here to learn more about how to detect a fraudulent e-mail message. We hope this helps. 

    • Shamsideen S.

      Hello; An internal county reporting has my social security as a lumpsum $30,000 and an incoming monthly amount of approximately $2000. I haven’t seen any social security statements from the federal government (SSA). Each time I request for statements they give me a very long hard time before they send it and when they finally do, they send it to a wrong mailbox usually the mailbox of the the frailing aged. I’m still wondering and suspecting that they are stealing from me. Each time I try to contact the SSA, I never find an independent assistant, its usually reps in cahoots with their fraudulent activities and as such, i never receive any help. Please I need my funds to be sent to me directly….I need money for more than just food and spending. I don’t have an incompetent locality almost making my spending decision. One can’t even create a SSA account on web because I suspect they are trading photoshopped human heads for another human bodies….I need real solution..Thanks!

      • Ann C.

        Hi, Shamsideen. We are sorry to hear about your situation. For 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 concerns. You can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., for assistance. You can also contact your local Social Security office. We hope this helps.

        • April m.

          I need to know about my benefits if any I have revived or will received can you please contact me my name is April miller #**********

          • Ann C.

            Hi, April. Thanks for visiing our blog. For 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 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., for assistance. You can also contact your local Social Security office. Just a reminder – please be cautious about posting personal information on social media. We hope this helps.

  4. Roderick L.

    9170 E.Golflinks Rd 33101Tucson Arizona 85730

    • Ann C.

      Hi, Roderick.We respond to questions and provide general information on our Retirement, Survivors, Disability, Medicare and SSI programs. If you have a general question, we encourage you to ask here. But remember, never post personal information on social media.Thanks.

    • doreen f.

      i get calls from companies saying i have an article i
      purchased and payment is not paid. the companies listed i have not ever shopped at. i
      hang up. several times i tell them to stop calling that i have called the BBB so they better stop
      calling,

  5. Mauricia R.

    What about scammers that prey on the elderly? In particular Mark Hamilton of Neothink Society in Texas.. They got me good & many others. Please stop this man. It wasn’t until after I wouldn’t pay again, that they just sent more attempts using a different tactic but the same address that I knew I was such a fool
    Please stop this guy. I have all the letters of proof.

  6. Michael R.

    Followed directions to report a text scam and the attempt failed. Seriously?

    Regarding phone scams, the vast majority use spoofed phone numbers. Blocking each of these numbers is an exercise in futility. WHY IS PHONE NUMBER SPOOFING NOT ILLEGAL? There is no legitimate reason for making a call recipient believe the call is coming from a spoofed number! This is fraud, plain and simple!

    • Jb

      👍✊ I couldn’t agree more!!!

  7. Samuel T.

    Appreciate information , what are the prequiscosites for Medicare

    • Lucas V.

      Depending on your age, you have to have 20 Work Credits to get Medicare or be 59 1/2 years old or older I believe. ( you can only get 4 work credits in 1 year of work, so 5 continuous years)

    • Ann C.

      Hi, Samuel. Thanks for your question. Most people age 65 or older are eligible for free Medical hospital insurance (Part A) if they have worked and paid Medicare taxes long enough. You can enroll in Medicare medical insurance (Part B) by paying a monthly premium. For more information about Medicare, please visit our Medicare Benefits page. We hope this helps.  

  8. Samuel T.

    Appreciate information

  9. David W.

    I’ve been living overseas continuously for 23 years, and I do not have a U.S. address. How can I get a My Social Security account. I have tried and failed several times.

    • Ann C.

      Hi, David. Thanks for visiting our blog. We’re sorry for any inconvenience. You will need a U.S. address to register for a my Social Security account. Since you are living outside of the U.S., please 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.

  10. Patricia

    So tired of scammers contacting me. Looking for correct answers how to stop scamming.

    • Melissa

      Patricia, to stop the scamming, you can report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) (link in above article) … tell them all of the phone numbers they are calling from, dates AND times of all of them, and what they say/who they say they are, and the FTC will look into it if you call them.

      I called them (FTC) one time because I was getting calls from “Medicare” (people saying they were calling from Medicare …) and gave all numbers, dates, times, etc, and they stopped calling me. I never got one call after that.

    • Ann C.

      Hi, Patricia. Thanks for visiting our blog. Generally, we will only contact you if you have requested a call or have ongoing business with us. Recently, scams—misleading victims into making cash or gift card payments to avoid arrest for Social Security number problems—have skyrocketed. Our employees will never threaten you for information or promise a benefit in exchange for personal information or money.

      If you receive a suspicious call like this: 1) Hang up. 2) Do not provide personal information, money, or retail gift cards. 3) Report suspicious calls here. For more information on how to protect yourself, check out our Frequently Asked Questions. We hope this helps.

Comments are closed.