Social Security Scam Call
Social Security Scam Call: How It Works
There is a new SSA scam going around nationwide. Watch out for a Social Security scam call, perpetrated by criminals claiming to be from the Office of the Inspector General (OIG SSA), mostly using the “Social Security Number Suspended” scare. We’ll show you below what the scammers say precisely on the phone to protect yourself if you receive the call.
However, rest assured that these crooks are not from the Social Security Administration. Let’s dive into the SSA Call scam with its variations and expose how they work. You can report the fraudsters at the end of the article if you experienced any suspicious activity.
Scammers call from random numbers but use Caller ID Spoofing technology that we assume you are aware of. They make the name of the Security Security Administration appear on your smartphone display. As people believe the call is from SSA, they pick up and respond with honest intent.
How Does The Fake SSA Message Sound
Let’s say you respond. An automated system states a message along these lines:
“Hello, this call is from the Social Security Administration. The reason we called today is to let you know that we’ve got your Social Security Number suspended due to suspicious activity on your account during the last few weeks. If you want to challenge your case, press 1”.
The same type of fraud happens in Canada as well – known as the Social Insurance Number Call – but let’s continue seeing how it works in the U.S.
Scared by the suspension of their SSN while believing the phone is legitimate, many victims press the key 1. If you do, you are connected to a real person who – of course – asks for all your personal information to prove your identity. The more you give away, the worse the situation can get. This info will be used for identity theft.
Other Variation of the Social Security Scam
In a different variation of the SSA scam, once you answer the phone, the criminal tells his potential victims that their Social Security benefits are suspended or investigated for fraud.
Similar to the situation above, the scammers proceed to ask private data and financial details, sometimes using information publicly available.
Essentially, they call targeted people after finding their info online and doing a little bit of homework. Many fall for this fraud because they share a lot on their social media platforms, which is never recommended.
Social Security Number Suspended: How To Avoid
Besides this type of fraud, beware of many other Social Security scams out there, such as the Social Security Benefits Status, Social Security Administration Visit, and the Social Security Payments Delayed.
Watch the video below to see the Top 4 Social Security scams:
SSA does not call people just like that. The administration operates out of its principal office and via snail mail. If you receive a call like this, report it using the link below.
Here are some other tips directly from the SSA:
Social Security Call: How To Report a Scammer
Make your family and friends aware of the Social Security Scam Call by sharing it on social media using the buttons provided. You can also officially report the scammers and any other suspicious SSA-related activity to the Federal Trade Commission using the link below:
If you want to be the first to find out the most notorious scams every week, feel free to subscribe to the Scam Detector newsletter here. You’ll receive periodic emails, and we promise not to spam. Last but not least, use the Comments section below to expose other scammers.
