Social Security scams use fear of losing benefits, being arrested, or having a number tied to a crime. One fact cuts through the panic: the Social Security Administration cannot suspend your Social Security number.
Does this affect you?
Use this for calls, texts, voicemails, or emails in the United States claiming to come from the Social Security Administration or SSA Office of the Inspector General.
Know the signs it is a scam, not the real SSA
The most dramatic claims are usually the easiest to rule out.
- A Social Security number cannot be suspended, blocked, frozen, or canceled. Any message using that claim is fake.
- The SSA does not call to threaten arrest or say police are on the way because of a Social Security issue.
- The SSA does not ask for payment by gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or mailed cash to protect benefits or money.
- Caller ID showing Social Security Administration or a Washington D.C. number can be spoofed and proves nothing.
- The SSA will not ask you to confirm your full Social Security number during an unsolicited call.
- Extreme urgency, instructions to stay on the line, and refusal to let you call back independently are manipulation tactics.
If a call has these signs, hang up. Do not press a number to speak with an agent or opt out; that can confirm your phone number is active.
Verify and report it
Use official SSA routes only.
- Go directly to ssa.gov and sign in to your my Social Security account to check benefits, earnings, and notices.
- Call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 if you want to verify a concern. Do not use a callback number from the suspicious message.
- Report the scam to the SSA Office of the Inspector General at oig.ssa.gov or its official hotline.
- File a complaint at reportfraud.ftc.gov under government impersonation or Social Security scams.
- Block the number after hanging up, especially if it keeps calling.
More control
Texts and emails use the same fear
Messages about benefit suspension, COLA increases, or urgent verification links should be checked by going to ssa.gov directly, not by clicking.
Some calls escalate theatrically
A scammer may transfer you to a fake police officer, U.S. Marshal, or investigator to make the threat feel real. It is still the same impersonation scam.
If you shared information
Change passwords tied to your my Social Security account, monitor bank and card statements, and consider a free credit freeze if your Social Security number or identity details were exposed.
Sources
- Social Security Administration – Scams and Fraud (2025)
- SSA Office of the Inspector General – Report Fraud (2025)
- FTC – Social Security Scams (2025)