A new warning was just issued by the Federal Trade Commission regarding a scam that involves the Social Security Administration. Apparently, scammers are spoofing the administration’s customer service number – 1-800-772-1213. So, if you are getting a call from the Social Security Administration, you should proceed with caution as you may be scammed.
The 1-800-772-1213 Scam Explained
Caller ID spoofing is when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to your caller ID display to disguise their identity, the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) explains. Spoofing is often deployed to trick an individual into revealing sensitive personal information so it can be used in fraudulent activity or sold illegally.
If you answer the call, you will be having a conversation with a scammer posing as a federal agent in an attempt to get your personal information. The caller presents himself as an employee of the Social Security Administration, and says that he needs the victim’s Social Security number to increase their benefits payments.
This is a smartly crafted scam as it involves the use of the real number of the Administration – 1-800-772-1213. In fact, the number has been spoofed to make the call look and sound authentic. Nonetheless, chances are that victims are generally not acquainted with number, meaning that the number will be unknown to them. This is the place to mention that answering calls from unknown numbers is not safe for a lot of reasons. Phone scammers are aggressively developing their set of manipulative tactics, so it is better not to risk it, even if you think you can recognize a scam when you see it.
Like with any other scam, there are several signs that give this one away. For example, real employees of the Social Security Administration will never promise increasing your benefits in exchange for personal information, over the phone. If you are in doubt, just hang up and call the number 1-800-772-1213 again – this time you will be calling the real Administration and you can ask them directly.
It is also a good idea to report spoofed and scam calls in general. If you’ve received a scam call from 1-800-772-1213, report it to SSA’s Office of Inspector General at 1-800-269-0271 or report it online. Such calls can also be reported to the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint.
Update February 2019
As evident by the multiple user complaints we have received, the scammers behind the 1-800-772-1213 Social Security Administration scam are still active. People have been complaining about receiving robo calls with recorded messages, urging them to call back the given number. We would like to remind you that interacting with such callers is a bad idea, and that reporting these calls is advisory.
Update March 2019
The Social Security Administration scam has turned out to be one of the most successful scams last year, according to new statistics. It appears that scammers representing themselves as SSA employees have caused losses in the size of [wplinkpreview url=”https://sensorstechforum.com/social-security-administration-scam-16-million-losses/”] at least $16.6 million or more, with more than 63,000 reports registered since January 2018.
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Just got an obviously prerecorded message (the first words were cut off) that told me “there are very serious allegations against your name at the law enforcement agency and at the police station” and instructs me to “press 1 immediately to be connected to the social security administration”. Just in case I missed the call they helpfully left me a number to call which is 209-916-4243. I will probably not make that call.
I got the same call twice today (02/23/19). I just hung up the first time, and the second time I didn’t answer it at all.
Ya I received the same call. That there were serious allegations against me and to press 1 to be connected to a lawyer or something. They said the call back was a 347 # which is a local NYC area code.
Received message that had something to do with Social Security Admin – gave number to call 347-491-4151 – This is the number for Oxagile – a Russian owned software company (based on Google search of number)
Got a call from (800) 722-5000 saying they were calling from SSA and that my SS# had been suspended because of unauthorized use. Please dial 1 for more information. I hung up.
Same calls. Don’t respond. Don’t interact. If you report this to the FTC, don’t expect a response from them, either. Block the numbers on your cell phone, as they keep spoofing new numbers in their various iterations.
I go a call from a 800-772-1325 it was a re-recorded message they were calling from SSA and that my SS# had been suspended because of unauthorized use and that I cannot use my SS until further notice. To press #1 to be connected to a SS rep.
Just received at call from 8007721213 said there has been suspicious activity using my social security number. Was asked to push #1 to speak to someone. I did and a foreigner answered said was from SS office how can they help me. I said I received a call from them and he hung up. You could hear like marketers in back ground.
Just got a call from (800) 772-1327 stating my social security number would be placed on hold due to some security breach. It states I should press 1 to speak to an agent. So I played along and Agent Patrick Logan with a very think Indian accent stated he needed my information. Of course I did not give it to him and instead I asked him where he was at and he gave me the Maryland address and then said he didn’t understand what and i was asking so then i asked what do you need from me? And surprise surprise he hung up.
I received a voice mail call today that obviously is a scam since I have never engaged in fraud in any format. Here is a transcript my phone conveniently provides me. BE CAREFUL, FOLKS! SSA would contact you by mail or if you broke the law, in person. SHAME!
“Legal enforcement actions filed on your social security number for fraudulent activities to get more information about this case file from Federal database press one and speak to our agent now hello. This is a prerecorded message from Social Security Administration legal department. The reason of this message is to inform you that S S E Department is filing lawsuit against you an arrest warrant has been released on your name due to a legal enforcement actions filed on your social security number for fraudulent activities to get more information about this case file from Federal database press one and speak to our agent now.”
Just received a voicemail with a prerecorded message. Said a warrant had been issued for my arrest for fraud using my SS #. Press 1 for more information. They cloned the SS office number. 800 772 1213. I have a spam filter for calls. It nabbed this call as spam.
Got a call today from this number. They left a pre recorded VM: this is what they said:
“hello this is a pre-recorded message from Social Security administration legal department the reason of this message is to inform you that ___ department is filing lawsuit against you and arrest warrant has been released on your name due to legal enforcement actions filed on your Social Security number for fraudulent activities to get more information about this case file from federal database press one and speak to our agent now…”
They called from (spoofed) the actual SSA number- which is scary because I feel like older people won’t know it’s a scam- I’m sure they are banking on that. So incredibly sad..
Got a call from 800-772-1444 saying to press 1 to be connected to a layer due to fraudulent activity on my ss#. Stated my ss# would be suspended if I took no action.
I got a call from this number plus two others posing at SSA Legal department; 5857746213 and 9147721213
Stating SSA filed a lawsuit and issued an arrest warrant for me regarding fraud in my name. Just FYI
Received Call on Old cell Phone Number stating that My SS # has been Suspended due to Fraudulent Activity. Caller ID 800-772-1298
got a call from 1-800-772-5464 saying SS number being suspended for suspicious activity…call back for more information. I didn’t return call
So far, in a week, received 8 calls from 7 different numbers (including 800-772-1213) with exactly the same recorded message: “This is the Social Security Administration. You have committed fraud against the government and a warrant has been issued for your arrest which may result in jail time. To resolve this issue, press 1 for the next available representative. (paraphrased)
Got robo call from a 800-772-5386, they ask to press one if I want to know who this is. Then sez its a call from the SS Administration. Then they say, the reason for call from that department is to inform that we suspended your social security number, cause they found some suspicious activity. Then again, if you want to know just press one again.. Yes its a robo call.
This number just called with a recorded message from the SSA – 830-215-3436 and asked to return a call to 800-215-8436. I am certain this is a scam.
Hi Karina, don’t interact with the number, there are too many scams out there…
Hola yo acabo de recibir esa llamada y di mi información. Que pasara?
Hi Marisela,
What information did you give them? Depending on the personal details you shared, the outcomes may vary.
Yes, same thing happen to me. Told me I had a legal case against me. This is very crazy! I received a call from 1(800)772-1213.
Robo call from 800-772-9145 telling me to press 1 if I want more information about the SSA suspending my account due to suspicious activity. No Way!
This is a total scam.
I got a call indicating there was fraud in all my accounts which involved rental cars and cocain trafficking. In Texas. I was asked for personal info; so I gave False info and was informed that the fraud department of USA government would contact me after I gave them the phone number for the local USA treasury branch. So I googled the phone number for this treasury branch while on the phone with these thief’s, and of course got a call from the number I googled and provided them. And was told he was a USA agent.
I then found this scam totally laughable and said I am in Canada and this is clearly a scam; he struggled to come up with a response. And continued to ask if I really was in Canada and where. I told him that was non of his business and he assured me it was “his business” as he claimed to have business in Canada; at the embacy. I asked which one, he said the main headquarters. I asked him where this headquarters is located (because no one know shit about Canada and how government works here) and he of course couldn’t respond. So I asked again, where is this “headquarters” located? And he proceeded to hang up on me.
So really pathetic; but don’t fall for any of these
Ridiculous scams!!
TOUCHE, Thanks to all of you for posting your experiences. I, too, received a call. I am 79 and a little slow but I kept asking them “what did you say? until they finally gave up!!
They used 800-772-1258 for the same scam.
Just got one of these calls, 800-772-4010
I just got a call from a 800-772-1325 it was a pre-recorded message they were calling from SSA and that my SS# had been suspended because of unauthorized use and that I cannot use my SS until further notice. To press #1 to be connected to a SS rep.
Received the exact same message on my cell, but from 800-772-3946.
I’ve been getting different phone calls from someone touting to be from the department of SSN. They leave this message: “We Just suspended your social security number for some suspicious activity, if you want to learn more about this case, just press 1 and thank you.”
Don’t answer is another scam for sure.
Got a call today, This is the Internal Revenue Service, how can I help you today? I replied… Well, you called me, you should be asking how can you help me. They hung up after that. Gotta try better than that.
I just got a call from 1-800-772-2733 Social security has had suspicious activity. I pressed 1 to see if it was a scam. A man with more consonants to his name than I could write down and speaking with a heavy foreign(Indian, I believe) accent told me that they will be suspending my ss account etc. I should not hang up because I can get into trouble etc…
He gave me the real ss phone # and would I like his email address so that I can Google this and that blah blah blah…I hung up….
First call was from a number (800) 772-1235, automated message saying press one or call the social security at 704-508-4460 and 2nd call was from (800) 772-1234 and I didn’t answer, voicemail was also automated and said the same thing. I deal with social security on a regular basis since I have been disabled and I know that this is a scam.
Received another call today from 800-772-1241 and 800-772-1223 stating the same thing. From SSA, must call back different number to resolve the issue or press 1 to talk immediately to an agent. The calls say there is issues with social security, feds, drugs etc. I keep blocking the different numbers. I do not call another number nor hit 1 for agent. Total Scam.
I received the same msg in my voicemail but the first part was cut. The number that called me is this (331) 431-6698. The person is a professional scammer that i almost followed all of his instructions. Damn! And when they found out i only have $19 in my acct, he just hung up.
I got call from 2 numbers saying there was fraudulent activity with my SSN, asked I call back, 800)918-0523 and 800)674-9552, I called and asked what this was about and they asked me for my social after I declined they hung up on me. I called back and they were very rude.
I got an email saying that it was from Social Security. The informed me that there was suspicious activity using my SS# and that they had put a freeze on my SS#..
I suspect that this is another version of the phone calls. I did not reply to the email like they wanted me to.
I hope this helps others.