Scammers are spoofing the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) 1-800 customer service number to try to get personal information.
Here’s how it works: Your phone rings. Your caller ID shows that it’s the SSA calling from 1-800-772-1213. The caller says he/she works for the Social Security Administration and needs your personal information – like your Social Security number – to increase your benefits payments. (Or they threatens to cut off your benefits if you don’t give the information.)
According to the FTC, 1-800-772-1213 is the SSA’s real phone number, but the scammers on the phone are spoofing the number to make the call look real.
The FTC offers the following tips to combat this latest scam:
If you get one of these calls, Hang up!
The SSA will not threaten you. Real SSA employees will never threaten you to get personal information. They also won’t promise to increase your benefits in exchange for information. If they do, it’s a scam.
If you have any doubt, hang up and call SSA directly. If you dial the number, you know who you’re getting. If a call comes in from that number, you can’t be sure it’s really Social Security Administration calling.
If you get a spoofed call, report it. If someone calls, claiming to be from SSA and asking for information like your Social Security number, report it to SSA’s Office of Inspector General at 1-800-269-0271 or https://oig.ssa.gov/report.
You can also report these calls to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint