Scam Alert: Social Security is not trying to take your benefits

The real Social Security Administration will never call to threaten your SSA benefits. The Federal Trade Commission is warning consumers about this newest twist on the Social Security Administration scam. (FTC)

The real Social Security Administration will never call to threaten your SSA benefits. The Federal Trade Commission is warning consumers about this newest twist on the Social Security Administration scam. (FTC)

The Federal Trade Commission continues to warn consumers about a new twist on the Social Security Administration (SSA) scam.

Check out this SSA imposter robocall, which says your benefits will end. (That’s not true, by the way.)

If you get a call like this, do not press 1. Instead, just hang up and remember:

• Your Social Security number is not about to be suspended.

• The real Social Security Administration will never call to threaten your benefits.

• The real SSA will never tell you to wire money, send cash, or put money on a gift card.

The Social Security Administration scam is the number one scam reported to the FTC right now. People filed nearly 73,000 reports about Social Security imposters in the first six months of 2019, with reported losses of $17 million. (You can explore the data about imposter scams and losses at ftc.gov/exploredata.)

So if you’re getting these calls, you’re not alone. Tell your friends and neighbors about this scam. Tell them to hang up the phone. And then to report it to the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov/complaint.


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