The Social Security Administration (SSA) has recently received several reports of suspicious phone calls claiming to be from SSA.

You may get a call from an automated recording that states your Social Security number (SSN) has been suspended for suspicion of illegal activity, and you should contact a provided phone number immediately to resolve the issue. The recording will also say if you do not contact the provided phone number, assets will be frozen until the issue is resolved. In other cases, you may receive a call from someone claiming to be from SSA headquarters who says your benefits will be terminated if you do not confirm your personal information, such as your SSN, address and date of birth. 

If you receive a suspicious call from someone alleging to be from SSA, you should hang up. Do not engage with the caller or provide any personal information. Instead, report the call to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) at 1-800-269-0271 or online at https://oig.ssa.gov/report.

If you have questions about any communication—email, letter, text or phone call—that claims to be from SSA or the OIG, please contact your local Social Security office, or call Social Security’s toll-free customer service number at 1-800-772-1213, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, to verify its legitimacy. (Those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing can call Social Security’s TTY number at 1-800-325-0778.)

Want more information on an SSA tool that can help protect you from identity theft? Check out our blog, “Protect Your Retirement Benefits with a my Social Security Account.” Interested in learning more about Social Security? Visit our Medicare Learning Center and check out A Beginner’s Guide to Social Security.