The Social Security Scam Call, and What to Do Next

The caller says your number is suspended. Here is how the real SSA behaves, and what to do if you paid.

The phone rings. A voice says it is from the Social Security Administration. Your number is suspended, or your benefits are in danger, and you must act now. Your heart pounds. Take a breath, because this call has a script, and the script is a lie.

The FTC says scammers pretend to be from government agencies. These include the Social Security Administration and the IRS. The FBI says criminals pose as government employees in a government impersonation scam. They threaten arrest or prosecution unless you pay.

The FTC says these scammers contact you. They claim that something bad will happen if you do not pay or hand over personal information. They may say you will miss out on a government benefit. The FTC is blunt about these calls: they are a scam.

The FTC says this kind of scam often starts with a call, email, text, or social media message. The scammer may read you an employee ID number to sound official. Then comes the demand.

SSA's page says scammers insist you pay with a gift card, gold bars, prepaid debit card, cryptocurrency, wire transfer, money transfer, or cash. They pick these forms of payment because they are hard to trace.

How to tell a real SSA contact from a fake

The FTC says government agencies will never call, email, text, or message you on social media to ask for money or personal information. That one rule sorts almost every call.

The FTC's page adds that the real Social Security Administration will not threaten you or suspend your Social Security number. Arrest threats over the phone are another tell.

Do not trust the screen. The FTC says caller ID can be faked, so it could be anyone calling from anywhere in the world. A name and an ID number prove nothing either, since the FTC says scammers might give you their employee ID number to sound official.

If you are in doubt, the FTC says you can check the list of real federal agencies at usa.gov.

The FTC says this scam can also start with an email, text, or social media message. A message may make the same threats. You can also read about the social security scam email.

While the scammer is still on the line

SSA's page says to stop talking to the scammer and block their phone number or email address. You do not owe a stranger a polite goodbye.

If the call is a robocall, the FTC says do not press any numbers. Pressing numbers could lead to more calls.

SSA's page says to hang up or ignore the message and not click on links or attachments.

If you already paid or gave out your number

You are not the first person this happened to, and there are set steps to take.

First, SSA's page says to read the FTC's What To Do if You Were Scammed for step-by-step advice.

Second, secure your Social Security account. SSA's page says to visit ssa.gov/myaccount to sign in or create a personal my Social Security account. Opening your account helps secure your personal information. It also stops identity thieves from fraudulently opening one in your name first. SSA says you get an alert right away once you have it. The alert comes if anyone tries to change your address or direct deposit without your permission.

Third, protect your credit. SSA's page says to notify the three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, to add a fraud alert to your credit report. If the scammer has your username and password for an account, SSA's page says to create a new, strong password.

If someone has already used your information, SSA's page says to visit identitytheft.gov to report identity theft and get a recovery plan.

Where to report the scam

SSA's page says to report the scam to the Office of the Inspector General at oig.ssa.gov/report. The SSA OIG has independent oversight of SSA's programs and operations. It runs audits, evaluations, and investigations. SSA says your report provides data used to inform others. It helps identify trends and take legal action against criminals.

The FTC's guide says to report a government impersonation scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or to your state attorney general. SSA's page says the FTC provides help to report scams in multiple languages. To reach an interpreter, SSA says to call the FTC and press 3.

SSA's page also says to call your local police department to report the crime.

Reporting will not undo the call. It does feed the offices that investigate these crimes and warn the public.