Residents around the country have been receiving calls claiming their Social Security number has been stolen and that it may be “suspended.”
There is a new phone scam making the rounds that you need to be aware of. Residents around the country have been receiving calls claiming their Social Security number has been stolen and that it may be “suspended.” The calls come from a “spoofed” number made to look like it’s coming from the official Office of the Inspector General fraud hotline. Officials are warning residents to never give out sensitive information over the phone unless you know the caller.
The Inspector General of Social Security, Gail S. Ennis, issued a warning about the calls back in April, but the scammers are still out there. These aggressive callers may claim your Social Security number has been stolen, accuse you of crimes, or even threaten legal action. Inspector General Ennis is encouraging people to spread the word about this scam.
“This caller-ID spoofing scheme is the latest attempt to use Social Security and the OIG’s trusted name to mislead people into providing information or even money over the phone,” Inspector General Ennis said. “I encourage everyone to alert your family and friends about how common these scams are, and to be extremely cautious when speaking with unknown callers, even if you recognize the caller ID.”
Employees from the Social Security Administration and the Office of the Inspector General do contact people via telephone, but calls would never come from the fraud hotline — (800) 269-0271. Actual SSA, IRS, and OIS employees may ask to verify personal information but would never threaten you in any way.
If you get one of these calls, the best thing to do is hang up. You can also report any suspicious calls to the OIG online at oig.ssa.gov/report or by calling (800) 269-0271. If you believe your personal information may have been comprised by this scam, please visit the FTC’s identity theft information site.
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