Identify the Scam

If you receive a call, text, email, letter, or message on social media that:

• Threatens to suspend your Social Security number, even if they have part or all of your Social Security number
• Warns of arrest or legal action
• Demands or requests immediate payment
• Requires payment by gift card, prepaid debit card, Internet currency, or by mailing cash
• Pressures you for personal information
• Requests secrecy
• Threatens to seize your bank account
• Promises to increase your Social Security benefit
• Tries to gain your trust by providing fake “documentation,” false “evidence,” or the name of a real government official

Scammers may use legitimate names and phone numbers of Social Security Administration (SSA) or SSA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) employees. Do not rely on names or caller ID to verify that the caller is a government employee. Many scam calls “spoof” official government phone numbers, or even numbers for local police departments. It is a scam!

Phone scammers may send official-looking letters or reports by U.S. mail, email, text, or social media message to convince you they are legitimate. The letters may appear to be from SSA or SSA OIG, with official letterhead and government jargon. They may also contain misspellings and typos. It is a scam!

Generally, SSA mainly 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 a person is not in one of these situations, they normally would not receive a call from the agency.