Scam? Phone call from "Department of Social Security" asking me to call back
I have gotten two phone calls this week from a 210 area code. A clearly automated voice claimed to be an officer with the Department for Social Security. I was informed there are legal proceedings being filed involving my social security number, and that I need to call them back at that same number. Sounds like a plot to rack up toll fees or something. Am I being conned?
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This is a scam and you can just ignore it. But, in general, whenever someone claiming to be a bank, government agency, or such asks you to contact them back, do not use contact information from them. Look up the actual contact information of the institution from an official source and contact them that way. Or go to your local branch in person. Be sure you are not talking to an impersonator.
If it’s really them, their operator will be able to put you through to the right person. If not, they’ll appreciate your reporting the scam.
Be careful: some scammers try to install malware on your computer first that redirects any connection or search you make for XYZ bank to their own site. In at least one case (which wouldn’t be possible on most modern phones), someone told me the story of how he got taken in by calling the bank right after the scammer hung up. The bank confirmed everything—only, he later found out, the scammers had never actually hung up the phone. They just muted their end until they heard him dial the bank's number, and played him a recording of the phone ringing.
The Social Security Administration mails documents; they don't call.
Of course you're being conned. Notifications of legal proceedings never come by phone. Never. All such calls are guaranteed to be scams.
As for that call coming from the 210 area code, that's very unlikely. Spoofing caller ID is trivially simple and virtually all scammers do so. It's very unlikely the scammers were in the US at all where their calls can be traced, US laws can be applied, and they can be prosecuted. The vast majority of fraudulent calls come from outside the country, and the majority of them come from a small handful of countries known for being fraud havens.
I work as a contractor at the Social Security Administration(ssa.gov), and am working on documenting an app we have (eMailer) that allows employees to send you email or texts with pre-approved content that does not involve your PII (Personally Identifiable Information) such as your SSN.
Important information may come via email, not just postal mail, but only if you either request some one-time information (as above, and it will appear to originate from ThankYou@SSA.gov) OR you have a "My Social Security" online account (more info here: faq.ssa.gov/en-US/Topic/?id=CAT-01154 )
Here's how you can report fraud, such as people pretending to be from the SSA: faq.ssa.gov/en-us/Topic/article/KA-10018
If you receive a suspicious call or are unsure of the identity of someone alleging to be from SSA, you should report details of the call to the Office of the Inspector General at ?1-800-269-0271 or online at oig.ssa.gov/report.
edited to correct the "A" in SSA
It is not a plot to rack up toll fees but to get you to pay them money to get the alleged legal proceeding halted. I too have received numerous such phone calls (most with faked Caller IDs with Area Code 202 (the area code for Washington DC)) and been told that an arrest warrant has been issued by the Federal Court in Santa Clara CA (sometimes Santa Barbara CA) and that the local police are on their way to my home to execute the warrant and pick me up. I can make all this go away by sending a money order or giving the caller a credit card number to which they can charge the amount due etc.
There is no such thing as the Department of Social Security in the Federal Government; it is the Social Security Administration and it never calls you to tell you about legal proceedings or anything else. It is all done by mail. So yes, this call is spam. Just ignore it.
Just to further what others are saying - and provide some info straight from the Social Security Administration - specific to the call you received as well!
Per a 1 April 2019
Advisory (emphasis mine)
FRAUD ADVISORY: IG Warns Public About Caller ID "Spoofing" of Social
Security Fraud Hotline Phone Number FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 1, 2019
The Inspector General of Social Security, Gail S. Ennis, is warning
citizens about a caller-ID “spoofing” scheme misusing the Social
Security Administration (SSA) Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG)
Fraud Hotline phone number. The OIG has received recent reports of
phone calls displaying the Fraud Hotline number on a caller-ID screen.
This is a scam; OIG employees do not place outgoing calls from the
Fraud Hotline 800 number. Citizens should not engage with these calls
or provide personal information.
Callers may use a variety of false scenarios or threats to request
personal information or payments, often by means of gift cards or
prepaid debit cards. The caller may claim to be from a “legal
department,” and they may state that one’s Social Security number
(SSN) has been involved in fraudulent activity. They may also accuse
citizens of committing crimes, and may threaten arrest by Federal
marshals.
SSA and OIG employees do contact citizens by telephone for official
purposes, and they may request the citizen confirm personal
information over the phone. However, the calls do not appear on caller
ID as the Fraud Hotline number of (800) 269-0271. Also, SSA and OIG
employees will never threaten you for information or promise any type
of official action in exchange for personal information or payment.
In those cases, the call is fraudulent, and you should just hang up.
“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.”
Inspector General Ennis urges citizens not to provide any sensitive
information, such as SSN or bank account number, over the phone or
internet unless you are certain of who is receiving it. You should
also never wire money or add money to a prepaid debt card to pay for
any official government service.
If you receive a suspicious call from someone alleging to be from SSA
or OIG, you should report that information to the OIG online at
oig.ssa.gov/report or by calling (800) 269-0271, Monday
through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time. You can also report
these scams to the Federal Trade Commission through a new site
specific to Social Security scams: identitytheft.gov/ssa.
So, they confirm that it's exceedingly rare that they call you directly (and even in such cases, the citizen is already made aware by the SSA that they'll be contacted...never cold-called). Also, they recommend that you call them if you're suspicious of any contact.
Also check out oig.ssa.gov/newsroom/scam-awareness
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