How it works

You receive a call from someone claiming to be a Social Security Administration (SSA) employee or a law enforcement officer who tells you your Social Security account has been suspended because it’s been linked to criminal activity. You may be asked to pay money and/or provide your Social Security number in order to reactivate your account. Sometimes the scammers persuade their victims to empty out their bank accounts, put the money on gift cards and provide them with the gift card numbers in order to keep their money safe from the “real criminals.”

What you should know

  • The SSA will never call to threaten your benefits, suspend your account or tell you to wire money, send cash or put money on gift cards.
  • Scammers sometimes use spoofing technology that will display the actual name or number of the entity they are posing as in the caller ID. If you are not sure if the call is legitimate, hang up and dial 1-800-772-1213 to ensure you’re speaking with the real SSA.
  • Never give your bank account number, credit card number or any part of your Social Security number to anyone who contacts you out of the blue.