Scammers are spoofing the SSA’s 1-800 customer service number to try to get personal information. Spoofing means that scammers can call from anywhere, but they make the victim’s caller ID show a different number – often one that looks legitimate to make the call look real.

These scam calls are happening across the nation. It starts off with the phone ringing, and the caller ID shows that it is the SSA calling from 1-800-772-1213. The caller says he works for the SSA and needs personal information – like a Social Security number – supposedly in order to process a benefit increase.

Keep in mind of the following tips if any of these calls is received:

• The Social Security Administration will not threaten you. Real SSA employees will never threaten you to get personal information. They also will not promise to increase your benefits in exchange for information. If they do, it is a scam.
• If you have any doubt, hang up and call SSA directly. Call 1-800-772-1213 – which is the real phone number for the Social Security Administration.
• If you get a spoofed call, report it. If someone calls, claiming to be from SSA and asking for personal information like your Social Security number, report it to the SSA’s Office of Inspector General at 1-800-269-0271 or visit https://oig.ssa.gov/report to submit a report online. You can also report these calls to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#crnt&panel1-1.

For more tips, check out the FTC’s How to Stop Unwanted Calls and Government Imposter Scams. If you think someone has misused your personal information, go to https://www.identitytheft.gov/ to report identity theft and find out what steps to take in order to report and recover from identity theft.

If you are interested in learning more about protecting yourself from these SSA scam calls, speak with a Community Resource Specialist: (408) 350-3200, option 1.