Social Security Scams: How to Spot SSA Imposters
SSA impersonation scams stole $65 million in 2023, with the SSA Office of Inspector General receiving over 650,000 complaints. Criminals call claiming Social Security numbers have been "suspended" due to suspicious activity or criminal investigations, threatening arrest or benefit termination unless victims pay immediately via gift cards or wire transfers. The FTC reports 70%+ of victims are over age 60, with average losses of $1,500—or $3,000 when paid via gift cards.
Critical fact: Social Security numbers cannot be suspended, canceled, or frozen—this claim always indicates fraud. The SSA initiates contact by mail, never with threatening phone calls demanding immediate payment. Legitimate SSA agents never request payment via gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or prepaid debit cards. Callers displaying "Social Security Administration" on caller ID can be spoofed—caller ID provides no authentication.
Protection: Hang up immediately on calls threatening SSN suspension or arrest. Call the official SSA number (1-800-772-1213) to verify any claimed issues. Never provide SSN, banking information, or Medicare numbers over the phone to unsolicited callers. Report scam attempts to the SSA Office of Inspector General at oig.ssa.gov/report or 1-800-269-0271. If information was provided, contact credit bureaus immediately to place fraud alerts and monitor for identity theft.
References
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Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG). (2024). SSA Impersonation Scam: FY 2023 Statistics. Retrieved from https://oig.ssa.gov/newsroom/scam-awareness/
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Federal Trade Commission (FTC). (2024). Government Impersonation Scams Data Book. Retrieved from https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/data-visualizations/data-spotlight/2024/01/government-imposter-scams
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AARP Fraud Watch Network. (2024). Social Security Scams: What You Need to Know. Retrieved from https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-2019/social-security.html
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Social Security Administration. (2024). Protect Yourself from Social Security Scams. Retrieved from https://www.ssa.gov/scam
Official SSA Contact Information
- SSA National Customer Service: 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778)
- SSA Office Locator: https://secure.ssa.gov/ICON/main.jsp
- Report SSA Scams: https://oig.ssa.gov/report or call 1-800-269-0271
- SSA Official Website: https://www.ssa.gov