The Acting Inspector General of the Social Security Administration (SSA) is alerting the public to ongoing telephone impersonation schemes designed to exploit citizens by misusing the SSA’s trusted reputation. It’s crucial to understand how to protect your Social Security Services Number from these fraudulent activities.
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) consistently receives reports detailing deceptive phone calls where scammers pretend to be SSA officials. These reports indicate a disturbing trend: scammers are escalating their tactics by using increasingly aggressive and threatening language. Victims are told that their Social Security services number has been linked to illegal activities, and they are threatened with arrest or legal action if they fail to return the call to a provided number to “resolve” the issue. It is vital to recognize this as a scam and avoid engaging with these callers or disclosing any personal information.
While the SSA does contact citizens by phone, particularly those who are already engaged with the agency for service-related reasons, there are key differences to note. Legitimate SSA representatives will never resort to threats or demand immediate information under the guise of potential arrest or legal repercussions. If you receive a call that employs such scare tactics, it is undoubtedly fraudulent, and the safest course of action is to hang up immediately.
As Acting Inspector General Stone stated, “Scammers will unfortunately stop at nothing to deceive and harm innocent individuals, often by instilling fear about their Social Security account and the threat of arrest.” She urges everyone to be extremely cautious of these scams and to inform family and friends about their widespread nature. The OIG is committed to monitoring these scams and keeping the public informed, empowering citizens to stay ahead of these criminals.
It’s important to note that some of these sophisticated scams even “spoof” the SSA’s national customer service number, 1-800-772-1213, making it appear legitimate on caller ID. This tactic further emphasizes the need for heightened vigilance.
To protect yourself, never provide sensitive information such as your Social Security services number or bank account details to unknown individuals over the phone or internet unless you are absolutely certain of their identity and legitimacy. If you receive a suspicious call from someone claiming to be from the SSA, report it immediately to the OIG at 1-800-269-0271 or online at https://oig.ssa.gov/report.
For further details and resources on scam awareness, please visit https://oig.ssa.gov/newsroom/scam-awareness. For media inquiries, contact Andrew Cannarsa, OIG’s Communications Director, at (410) 965-2671.
