Social Security Scam Alert Issued by OIG

A fraud advisory was issued today by the Office of the Inspector General warning the public about a scam involving callers impersonating Social Security employees when calling potential victims. This scam targets individuals who are already receiving Social Security benefits.

A call is made to the victim (usually from area code 323) and the caller pretends to be an employee at Social Security. The caller then asks the victim to confirm all of their information, including their social security number, date of birth and parents’ names. This is the information that Social Security typically uses to make sure that you are who you say you are when you call the Social Security office.

Once the victim has provided all of the information the caller contacts Social Security and pretends to be the victim. He uses the security information to change the direct deposit information so that the benefit payment goes into his own bank account. The victim will not be aware of the scam until their regular monthly payment does not show up in their bank account on time.

How to Protect Yourself from this Social Security Scam

Social Security does call beneficiaries on occasion, but they will never ask for your personal information. You should never give out your personal information to anyone who calls you and claims to be working for Social Security. If you make a call to Social Security you will be expected to confirm your identity.

If you get a call from Social Security and you have any doubts about the call then ask for the name of the caller and the reason for the call. Do not give out any information. Hang up and call your local Social Security Office or the central toll-free for Social Security at 800-722-1213.

You can read the full alert on the Office of the Inspector General’s website. If you receive a suspicious call you can report it to the OIG office at 1-800-269-0271.