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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.

  • We won’t post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions.
  • We won’t post comments that include vulgar messages, personal attacks by name, or offensive terms that target specific people or groups.
  • 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.

We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. To protect your privacy and the privacy of other people, please do not include personal information. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission.

Sick in DC!
August 29, 2020
Lived in Northern VA for 3 years. During that period I had numerous scam calls and Social Security scam calls are part of them. The same day I walked out the local SSO after applying for the replacement SS card, got a call from a scammer claiming that my SSN would be suspended for illegal activities? Hung up and called back, and someone aggressively threatening again. That was back in Spring 2019.
Jo
September 03, 2020
This message was left on my phone: From the Department of Social Security administration the reason you are getting a call from our department is inform you that we have found out that your Social Security _⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_⁠_ _⁠_⁠_⁠_ _⁠_⁠_ _⁠_⁠_⁠_ _⁠_ you in the state of Texas for further information sell the case call back off in this number 443-384-1391 I repeat 4433841391__…”
David A
September 03, 2020
Received Multiple calls today from 1-202-773-1344 claiming to be from the Social Security Administration. Message received was: "We have received notice against your Social Security number regarding some fradulant activities running in Washington DC so we need to talk to you as soon as possible. Call us at the Social Security administration number 202-773-1344
Lorena B.
September 03, 2020
This guy keeps calling on my cell asking for my social security and he said that if I don't call back, they are going to issue a warrant to get me arrested. The number is 240-332-9909
Lorena B.
September 03, 2020
Here is another number 616-928-1681 where I receive phone calls asking for my social security number. Be aware. Thanks!
Lorena B.
September 03, 2020
Another number that I get phone calls from requesting my SSN 213-807-3335. Thanks!
House
September 04, 2020
What if you verified the last 4 and zipcode. what do i need to do now?
Aberg378
September 04, 2020
I received a call today from 432-729-9548 asking to call SSA ASAP @ 228-678-1353. Did not call back and blocked number. Also reported it to FTC.
Notthatold
September 09, 2020
870-953-2091 They call and call with a recorded message of activity using your social. Sec and say they're calling before they interrupt service to your account. AK number. If you call back it sounds like a call center.
Ki-Ki_C
September 09, 2020
I have been getting consistent calls for various 274 phone numbers. I continue to block them and they call from a different number. 274-8650; 274-8981; 274-4357;274-4684; 274-4040; 274-5126; 274-6352; 274-2042; 274-8864;. All in 2 days. 864 is the area code
Don’t use
September 15, 2020
Got a call from California number 213-893-8513 saying my social is being suspended for illegal activity to call back. Obviously a scam.
anonymousperson
September 18, 2020
Just received a fraudulent phone call from 1-281-656-0841 trying to steal my social security number by stating that I have a arrest warrant when I do not. Please report this number.
Reg
September 18, 2020
Just got this call on my cell phone and I started laughing. Yes this is a real fake SS call from a pre-recoreded robot.
Fake SSN call
September 21, 2020
I just recieved a call and to call 3609644350 because there might be fraudulent on my ssn. How we stop this? It was a restricted number who called.
sandy
September 21, 2020
just got a call..claiming that they are from Social Security. Their number is 272 - 209 -5183.
angel
September 21, 2020
what do i do im 11 and i got a call say they filed a lwasuit on me
Shamus
September 22, 2020
Keep getting these calls from these numbers 4012617962 +14012617962 +14012614921 about my social security number having a lawsuit on it. And it's a robot message every time. They call like 5 times a day it's irritating
Busy body
September 22, 2020
Answered a call from caller ID Bellko Judy (571-330-5770). It was a recorded message stating that my social security number was used in a crime and press 1 to speak to an officer. I immediately disconnected the line.
Don't use your…
September 22, 2020
They just called me from a 6194578492 asking me for my personal information claim I had to pay off 15,000
Lou
September 22, 2020
Received a call from 253-319-1587 claiming to be from SS administration in Washington state. They left a message about fraudulent activity on my SS number and asked me to call back right away. I never called them back. They tried a second time from the same area code number.
GrammaDee
September 22, 2020
I received a call from 816-936-3000, he knew that I had just applied to start receiving soc sec. He was calling to verify the info I put on the application. Some of it he knew, but I refused my ssn.
YX
September 23, 2020
Received an automated call today from 'Social Security Administration' stating that my social security number has been used, etc. Etc. The phone number that called me was: +19168897016 I ended the call and didn't proceed any further.
Sv26
September 24, 2020
i received a call on my cell phone from 202-773-2199 it was a robotic voice saying that my social security number was used in suspicious activity and to avoid legal action call them right away i searched the number but i didn't find it so i figured that it was a scam but these calls need to stop because i get anxiety whenever my phone rings now
Ms Sanders
September 24, 2020
The number they called me on was a 209 area code
maddog4566
September 24, 2020
i just gat a call about that the number was931 388 1555
robdogs2019197…
September 24, 2020
I got two phone numbers 302-658-3460 came out of Washington de at 9 24 2020 was over an hour ago I got the phone call and it says it was Social Security lawyers office it said if I didn't push one there whip across prosecute me on the phone I get a lot of 417 to
LGHI
September 24, 2020
I have been getting them from my area code in Hawaii (808) so it looks local. Blocked but still getting more from similar numbers. I was tempted to actually talk to someone (press 1) to see what they had to say but didn't want to engage with them. It happened a couple of years ago, too.
Concerned daughter
September 24, 2020
There is a man calling mother from Austin, Texas saying she has been linked to a crime. He actual has her ss#. I have called him and he sounds like he is a restroom. His accent is an Indian accent. The scariest part is that he has her ss#, and recited it over the phone. What can be done to protect her???????? She has also received a call from a man sounding the same saying he is a US Marshall giving a case number that I have seen on the web. He is insulting and uses profanity. The number he called from today is 737-241-7434.
Don't tynause …
September 24, 2020
Somebosy keeps calling me saying my socual s number is suspended and i will be arrested.
Caroleb
September 25, 2020
Just got another call from +14699706766 claiming to be for social security so this same number is still doing this.
Dgillespie
September 25, 2020
These two numbers called me today about a warrant 1 212 766 2538 and 1 212 753 8711. I will told them I will be reporting them and they hung up
ShellyVan13
September 25, 2020
I just received a call today stating that my SS was being used in TX. It was an automated call, press 1 to talk to an officer. I did, she asked me when i received the call, I said you called me, then she asked my name, I said it should be in front of you because you called me. She hung up.
Don'Amanda kel…
September 25, 2020
Someone at 3014259610 keeps calling me saying they are with social security department
Matthewbanks07…
September 28, 2020
I got a call from that person. It went to voice mail. Didn't call it back because I don't care. I don't have anything on my SSN for anyone anyways. Hell even I have a hard time getting anything myself with my stupid number.
Minimax4
September 29, 2020
I just got a call from Texas. He said his name is Officer Chris Jones.Badge Number FSA3156219. This was my first time. Please check him out. Thank you for your time.
Frustrated 1
September 29, 2020
I just received a call stating that my ssn number has been stopped and that I am facing federal crimes in tx. I don't live there. I hung up and started to Google. I'm pretty sure they don't ever contact you by phone....right?
Mir Khalid
September 29, 2020
+1-510-640-1507, +1-510-640-4798, +1-510-640-9326, +1-510-640-6500 these are the numbers constantly calling and saying SSN stolen. They are scam.
Reporting
September 29, 2020
report/ warning: caller ID : Greensboro, NC 1- 388- 579-3394 Called and left an Automated message saying that somebody was using my Social Security number fraudulent activity and call back as soon as possible.
DUH
September 30, 2020
Got a scam call saying my SSN has been suspended bc of suspicious activity or bc it's been involved in a crime. The caller ID # was 206-531-7149. BEWARE
Frustrated
September 30, 2020
Got 2 calls in last 2 days from 2 different numbers, these numbers were not 800 numbers, they were both obviously people's cell phone numbers coming from my State and even area code, it was an automated message that said they were from the Social Security Administration that they have found fraudulent activity on my social security number, that I needed to speak to a representative immediately, of course I knew it was a scam, so I called one of the numbers right back and I got an answer from a woman who owned this phone number, it was her cell phone and I told her that I just gotten a call and told her that they used her number, I wanted to make her aware that the number has been copied and it has been used in a scam.
Mintehsmith
September 30, 2020
So stayed at motel 6 near Seattle this past weekend and since yesterday I keep getting scam calls from that area regarding my ssc number being “ compromised” funny thing is I didn’t get these types of calls till after I stayed at the motel 6 and I’ve had this phone number for over a year
Tennessee
October 01, 2020
I got 2 phones calls yesterday, one in the morning from Florida, then from California in the afternoon and again just now from Idaho! It was a first , second and final notice about fraud on my SS number in Texas. So they are at it again in 2020!!!
JClemens80
October 01, 2020
Just received a call about my SSN with an arrest threat. I didn’t answer it so they left this information on my VM. They’re criminals and they need to be stopped. My mother, who was in hospice care at the time and obviously wasn’t well enough to think clearly at the time, got one of these messages and it scared her so bad! She almost gave the low life opportunists her information, and they would have succeeded in taking advantage of another Vulnerable/ elderly person.
Nancy
October 01, 2020
I have gotten five calls just alone today. They are using my area code, and when I block they use another number. I pushed one to speak to someone and asked them to stop and they hung up. Yesterday three calls. This is so annoying!
Nv2018
October 02, 2020
I got a call yesterday with the foreign guy telling me that they found a car with blood in it from Texas and there was drugs seized and money with my name and social security number all linked to the account and that my social security number could be blocked and I was to write down my warrant number his name and then a case number and I just ended up hanging up but the phone number was with my own area code from my state which is Pennsylvania and it was from a 814 number
Highly frustra…
October 02, 2020
I am currently receiving 8-10 calls per day, all from random numbers out of Georgia. These numbers are from real people and they too are being victimized. Outside of blocking every number from Georgia, what options do we have to stop these calls, this is ridiculous.
SomeoneHangingAround
October 02, 2020
Automated call, asked for my SSN, call came from 812-899-9273
EMiami20
October 02, 2020
I am glad that I decided to look up information regarding this topic. I just received a call at home claiming that illegal activity involving my social security number has been detected, and that I needed to call them before legal procedures were started. The rational side of me knew it was a scam but one still worries. The number they left for me to call was 202/773/2603. I just called & they answered saying that it was the Social Security Administration. I said that I was calling for a friend who doesn’t speak English well, and would like to know what is the problem and the guy eventually hung up on me. I could hear another guy in the background, who I believe is the one who told him to hang up on me. This is crazy! People need to be very careful not to give any personal information to anyone who calls making any claims.
Kelly
October 02, 2020
Received this among many calls this week. Call from Eurogen 754-231-8279 stating there had been illegal activity with SSN and that legal action was being taken. Requested a call back at the same number. Computerized female voice.