Jim Borland, the Social
Security Administration’s Acting Deputy Commissioner for Communications, offers
the below information:
It’s the morning of a busy day at home and you
get a call from an unknown number. You answer only to find yourself on the
receiving end of a threatening message saying your Social Security benefits
will stop immediately unless you provide your personal information. It happens
every day to thousands of Americans. And
it’s not Social Security calling.
Scammers have many ways to
lure their victims into providing information and then stealing their
identities. Sometimes they call under a guise of helping you complete a
disability application. Protecting your information is an important part of
Social Security’s mission to secure today and tomorrow. Any request from our
agency will come to you as a written notice first. If you do receive a call
from one of our representatives, they will provide you with a telephone number
and extension.
The Acting Inspector General
for Social Security, Gail Stallworth Stone, urges everyone to stay vigilant of
impersonation schemes and to not be afraid to hang up.
You must always remember that
you’re in control. Also remember that Social Security will never do any of the
following:
Call you to demand an
immediate payment;
Demand that you pay a debt
without the ability to appeal the amount you owe;
Require a specific means of
payment, such as requiring you to pay with a prepaid debit card;
Ask you for your personal
information or credit or debit card numbers over the phone; or
Threaten you with arrest or
deportation.
If you receive one of these
scam calls or emails, do not provide them with any information. You should:
Hang up immediately;
For Social Security
impersonations, contact Social Security’s Office of Inspector General at https://oig.ssa.gov/report.
If you receive a notice from
Social Security, please use the telephone numbers provided in the notice sent
to you. You can also call 1-800-772-1213 or visit socialsecurity.gov for how to
contact Social Security.
Remember that scammers try to
stay a step ahead of the curve. You can do the same by protecting your
information.
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