What number does social security call from?

If you have received a call from "Social Security" threatening you with legal action or about suspicious activity in your Social Security account, you might be talking to a scam artist. With Social Security paying benefits to millions of beneficiaries every month, scammers are regularly on the hunt hoping to get their targets off guard. But, how do you know a call came from Social Security and not a scam artist?

Social Security will rarely make phone calls, and if they do, it could be from 1-800-772-1213. However, just because this Social Security number appears on a Caller ID screen does not mean it is from Social Security. Scammers often spoof caller IDs to make it seem like Social Security is calling. If you don’t have an ongoing business with Social Security and you receive a call claiming to be from Social Security, you should hang up and report the call to the Office of the Inspector General.

Does Social Security make phone calls?

Social Security will rarely call you unless you have an ongoing business with them or you had requested a callback. If you don't have an ongoing issue with Social Security, then it is unlikely that the call came from Social Security. If there is a problem with your account, you will get a letter from Social Security explaining the situation and what to do about it.

If the actual Social Security calls you, the SSA representative would never threaten you, ask for your Social Security number, ask for your bank information, or require payment in form of cash, gift card, bitcoin, or wire transfer. If you get such a call, it is safe to hang up and report the call to Social Security.

What number does Social Security call from?

The main Social Security number is 1-800-772-1213. However, fraudsters may use spoofing techniques to make the Social Security hotline number appear on the caller ID screen. The caller ID may also display the name of a Social Security official. Therefore, just because the caller ID matches the Social Security number does not mean it is Social Security calling you. If you are in doubt, you can verify if the call you received was real or a scam by calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to verify.

Does Social Security call you about suspicious activity?

If there is suspicious activity in your account, Social Security will not likely call you regarding your account. Social Security policy is to only conduct business with Social Security beneficiaries via registered mail. Therefore, if you received a call from someone claiming to be from Social Security, the call is most likely fraudulent, and you should hang up immediately.

Fraudsters may also send phishing emails, text messages, and paper mail to "prove" legitimacy. They can impersonate Social Security officials, create counterfeit Social Security badges, and even use fake credentials to feign legitimacy. Remember, you should not give out your legal name, bank information, date of birth, address, Social Security numbers, and other vital information. If the scammers get this information, they can hijack your Social Security account and ask Social Security to change your address, phone numbers, and bank deposit information, and then divert your payments elsewhere.

You can protect yourself from scammers by setting up your My Social Security account so that you track your account activity for signs of unusual activity. You can log into your account regularly to check for any fraudulent transactions or changes that you did not authorize. You can also install a robocall-blocking app to block scammers impersonating Social Security. 

How to know that a Social Security call is a scam

Scammers may use various techniques to prove their “legitimacy”, but there are several things to watch out for. Here are common warning signs of a Social Security scam call:

Unsolicited calls

If you don’t have an ongoing business with Social Security, Social Security would never call you out of the blues. Any unsolicited communication from someone claiming to be Social Security is a scam. Fraudsters may spoof caller ID to make it seem like the official Social Security number, but their actual number is masked. The scam may revolve around fraudulent activities in your account, issues with your SSN, your benefits, etc.

However, if you have signed up to receive notifications from Social Security, you may receive alerts when logging into your account.

Threats

When a scammer calls you, they intend to steal from you, and they can try to intimidate, scare, or threaten you with arrest if you do not share certain information. Sometimes, these fraudsters may transfer the call to law enforcement officers to convince you that you are in legal trouble and install a sense of fear.

An actual Social Security representative would never use threatening language on the phone, and would never force you to reveal your personal information. Therefore, if you receive a threatening phone call claiming to be a Social Security official, it is a scammer calling.

Promises of easy money

Fraudsters may make phony promises of increasing your monthly benefits payments to lure you to reveal your Social Security information such as your SSN, credit card information, and bank details. They may also fabricate stories around unclaimed benefits and cost-of-living adjustments as a ploy to get your money.

Demands for payments

If you owe Social Security any money such as benefits overpayment, Social Security will send you a letter indicating the amount of overpayment, your payment options, and appeal options if you think that the overpayment is an error.

If the caller impersonating Social Security claims that you need to pay Social Security, it is a warning sign that you are talking to a scammer. Social Security would never ask for payments over the phone or require you to make payments via gift cards, wire transfers, internet currency, or prepaid debit cards.

Claims of criminal activity related to your SSN

Scammer callers may claim that there are criminal charges related to your Social Security number. They may ask you to confirm your number Social Security to reactivate it or claim to issue a new SSN at a fee. These calls have the hallmarks of imposter calls, and you should never fall victim to them. Also, Social Security would never block, suspend, or freeze your SSN.