The Social Security Administration has been trying to combat fraudsters who are out to steal private information like Social Security numbers for years, but it seems that fraud attempts are on the increase in recent years.
Anyone who receives a call from someone claiming to be from Social Security should be rightfully suspicious because of widespread attempts by fraudsters to gain access to private information. The most recent scam is composed of a caller who will inform that a person’s Social Security number has been suspended for criminal activity. This obviously gets people extremely nervous and they want to resolve the matter, but that call is not from Social Security. The agency recently announced some new information of how to protect against these scams and how to determine if it is actually Social Security on the other end of the line.
Criminals are sophisticated and there are many variations of this fraud scheme. For example, scammers may call or email saying they are from Social Security and that the person’s Social Security number is suspended or was used in a crime. The caller identification may be spoofed to appear as a legitimate government number. They may text or email fake documents in attempts to coerce people to comply with their demands. In recent twists, thieves even use real Social Security and OIG official’s names and send pictures of fabricated government ID badges.
Social Security will never tell you that your Social Security number is suspended, contact you to demand an immediate payment, threaten you with arrest, ask for your credit or debit card numbers over the phone, ask for gift cards or cash, or promise a Social Security benefit approval or increase in exchange for information or money.
Social Security employees do occasionally contact the public by telephone for business purposes. Ordinarily, the agency calls people who have recently applied for a Social Security benefit, someone who is already receiving payments and requires an update to their record, or a person who has requested a phone call from the agency. If there is a problem with a person’s Social Security number or record, Social Security will typically mail a letter.
