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The FTC is getting reports about people pretending to be from the Social Security Administration (SSA) who are trying to get your Social Security number and even your money. In one version of the scam, the caller says your Social Security number has been linked to a crime (often, he says it happened in Texas) involving drugs or sending money out of the country illegally. He then says your Social is blocked – but he might ask you for a fee to reactivate it, or to get a new number. And he will ask you to confirm your Social Security number.

In other variations, he says that somebody used your Social Security number to apply for credit cards, and you could lose your benefits. Or he might warn you that your bank account is about to be seized, that you need to withdraw your money, and that he’ll tell you how to keep it safe.

But all of these are scams. Here’s what you need to know:

  • The SSA will never (ever) call and ask for your Social Security number. It won’t ask you to pay anything. And it won’t call to threaten your benefits.
  • Your caller ID might show the SSA’s real phone number (1-800-772-1213), but that’s not the real SSA calling. Computers make it easy to show any number on caller ID. You can’t trust what you see there.
  • Never give your Social Security number to anyone who contacts you. Don’t confirm the last 4 digits. And don’t give a bank account or credit card number – ever – to anybody who contacts you asking for it.
  • Remember that anyone who tells you to wire money, pay with a gift card, or send cash is a scammer. Always. No matter who they say they are.

If you’re worried about a call from someone who claims to be from the Social Security Administration, get off the phone. Then call the real SSA at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). If you’ve spotted a scam, then tell the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint.

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The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.

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  • We won’t post threats, defamatory statements, or suggestions or encouragement of illegal activity.
  • We won’t post comments that include personal information, like Social Security numbers, account numbers, home addresses, and email addresses. To file a detailed report about a scam, go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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Fakers1
April 27, 2021
I've been getting numbers from 425 area code for weeks. I block one, they call from another 425 number. WTH.
amdock$
April 28, 2021
I just got a call from the soc security legal department. My tone become challenging & they hung up. I called the number back and was told that number had been spoffed. I just want it to stop. I get 10 hangup calls 5 scammer calls & 5 robo calls. I am on the do not call registry as of 2019. I feel like I am getting more calls everyday. Can anyone make this stop?
pete
April 29, 2021
1-205-395-3227 just tried a social security scam on me
YY4U
May 05, 2021
Just received a Social Security scam call from 913-486-6728. Claimed to be Officer Steven White is SSA about a fraud claim against me.
Steeltoehero
May 05, 2021
I've gotten three fake calls from the ssi saying their has been legal action against me
Bekah
May 22, 2021
I get these calls regularly. It's funny because my mom and I had hung up from calling Social Security about my mom getting death benefits from my dad passing away, literally seconds after hanging up, a call came in from a spoofed number (using my Dr's number), they were supposedly from Social Security. We knew it was a scam right away. I'm just so dang tired of these calls. We get scam calls at least 20-30 a day. At least my cell has google assistant and I can block each number that calls, but it is hard when they spoof numbers. I just got a missed call today on my cell from someone pretending to be from Social Security, my Google assistant screened the call.
CK
May 24, 2021
Called twice today about suspending my SS number. First call was from Cambridge MA. 617-661-3665 2nd call was from Vienna Va 703-742-8246. They need to stop this!!!
Mad in Louisiana
June 07, 2021
I get a call from the "SS Office" once a week the last one I received told me that I would be arrested for drug trafficking and bank fraud, if I didn't pay court costs and, pay to reinstate my ss number... Its sad because there are older people out there that get these calls and believe it so they do ot ..... the person even went as far to tell me they would hang on the line while I went to the store to get the Green Dot card to send them the money or they would hang on the line for me to give them my bank information because they were going to seize my account and I wouldn't have any money whatsoever unless I pay the fees absolutely ridiculous I really feel for these people out there that really gets this message that are scared and they do it out of fear
Bad$call#75
June 07, 2021
Received call threatening benefits from : 228 234 2800
Sammy
June 09, 2021
I just got a call with a voicemail saying call back before the legal preceding begin. The transcript on my phone had a Florida number. I called, they said they were social security and asked for a case number and or last 4.
PKEL
June 11, 2021
I just got 2 back to back calls stating that if I'm working, I need to drop what Im doing immediately to speak with Federal agent, and to push 1. I hung up on the first call. My husband took the 2nd call and a woman answered with an accent "Social Security Department. When he asked why they are calling, the woman said did they leave a case number? He said Im not giving you any info. You need to tell me who you are. He was then transferred to another woman with a strong accent who said Social Security Dept. He tried to call the first number back and it said disconnected. The 2 numbers are 918-913-6978 and 919-909-4279. They do try to scare you with the claim of being federal agents, but I know better than to fall for these scams. I'm just so sick of these spam calls. We are all on a do not call list, yet get more spam calls than actual friends or family calling. I'm fed up!
Dd108
June 16, 2021
I have been receiving these calls for over a year at least once a week. I block the number but they just call on a different one. If you call the number back it always says the number is no longer in service. How can they do this? About to lose my mind.
Fedup
July 14, 2021
Call from scammer 501-7107106. Social Security threat to me. Asks for last 4 numbers but knew my name. Guy sounds Asian Indian named Oliver.
Concerned Tax …
August 02, 2021
Number 706 642 3493 first text me said he was from the SS OFFICE Call the number guy tried to get my SS number, then when I wouldn't give said he was going to have me arrested. the number works someone needs to shut this guy down. Sounded official
Chaplain White
August 05, 2021
I work at the Kansas City VA Medical Center, they called the Chaplain office from 212-382-7481 and 212-472-8187 claiming that they had a warrant out for my arrest.
Bassin12
August 09, 2021
Received a call today from 707-480-4565 stating they had a serious matter to discuss with me and needed to get resolved immediately, I needed to press #1 to be connected to an agent. So just for giggles, I pressed #1. Some woman answers and says "Social Security Office, how can I help you?" I said "I don't know, y'all called me, you tell me." She hung up on me. The nerve of her. The number is now blocked on my phone.
Nicky58
August 10, 2021
I received a call from 419-901-3798 reported as social security and that I need to hold on the line and speak to an agent otherwise they will put out an arrest warrant for me for doing something illegal so I dialed number one I held on the line someone got on and they said how may I help you and I said you're calling me what do you want and they hung up I called the number back and some guy answered by the name of Carl and he doesn't have any idea of why I'm calling him so I reported the number to the do not call registry complaint line
concern
August 11, 2021
I received a call from someone saying is from Medicare, that they do a health evaluation every 12 months, after a few questions about health he asked for my Medicare number, when I said I do not have it, he wanted my Social Security. I told him I will not give it, and he kept insisted and said then he will have to call me another day. I hung up. The phone register in my phone was 239-356-3034
Licorice64
August 12, 2021
I'm trying to report an attempt to scam me by someone claiming to work for social security and threatening to arrest me but when I enter the # the scammer called from it says invalid #
Darkside9878
August 16, 2021
Ive received three of these today all from different numbers from across the country but all with the exact same recording when I pick up. The very first time I went with it a bit and they went to the Texas thing, drugs and bank accounts and such...then they started asking for bank info so I knew it was bogus
Ricki Hollywood Fl
August 25, 2021
I received a call from a gentleman claiming to be a officer Neil Matthews badge number 02890175 said my social security number has been suspended for out of the country money laundering and drug trafficking and illegal activity on bank accounts that there were four bank accounts opened that all has suspicious activity on them and he had a case number and a warrant for my arrest and had a number for that with two addresses in Texas I had never even been to Texas but yeah he was really convincing and I kept asking for a return number in case we got disconnected because the charge on the phone was so low and he wouldn't answer the question he just kept skating over it like I wasn't even asking. I told him the Social Security administration would never just suspend your number but he had me worried at first because I get disability and I almost believed him I'm lucky my phone did die though so the call was terminated.
Magic
September 02, 2021
I Don't know if this is the real Social Security that has been calling me from the following Number; 1-929-538-2994. I've called social Security, but they'll keep you online forever. And burns my minutes up! Is this phone from S.S.I?
GSnaps2Go
September 03, 2021
fyi... Just received a call claiming to be SSA. 213.546.0767 but came through as ID 971.271.2129.
IMMANUIEL
September 09, 2021
Mine said some drug dealer in El paso was you it an I was wanted by FBI my number would have to be changed.
CC
September 15, 2021
973-451-3528 Called and Say about an investigation to press 1 for more information and speak with an agent
Liljenncq
September 16, 2021
My dad just got a call from a Wisconsin number stating that he was a US Marshall, badge number and all and said my dad's identity had been used in Texas to purchase drugs. Also, that his SS benefits would be stopped!! I told him to hangup because it was a scam