Awareness is key.
The Social Security Administration will NEVER call you requesting personal information of any kind, threaten your benefits, or ask for payments.
NEVER give out your SSN—not even the last four digits—to anyone who contacts you by phone.
ALWAYS be suspicious of a call you did not initiate. If you did initiate a call, as you might to your credit union or credit card company, be aware of your surroundings if asked for information to help identify you.
NEVER make any kind of payment on a call like this. Callers asking for wire transfers or gift cards as payment are also thieves. Requesting these methods of payment is a big red flag.
NEVER trust the caller ID on your phone. It’s shockingly simple to clone a number so the call appears to come from a legitimate Social Security Administration phone number.
If you do receive one of these calls, do not reveal any personal information. Instead, hang up and call the Social Security Administration directly at 1-800-772-1213 to check.
If you believe you have discovered a scam, contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at www.ftc.gov/complaint.
Do you have a question or need help reporting an issue? Give us a call at 1.800.880.5328!
