social security administration telephone number

Your benefits are very important, and it is easy to understand your concern. Remember, the Social Security Administration will never call you and ask you to send them cash, wire them money, or send them a gift card. Marilyn, to keep yourself safe, simply follow the steps listed. Locking your social security number should only be a last resort, as it may impact your financial health.

Simply follow the instructions on the website. You can choose to remove the lock at any time. There, the lock can start immediately, and it will last for one year. Department of Homeland Security’s website. You can lock and unlock your social security number through the U.S. You can also “lock” your social security number to prevent it from being used by anyone – including yourself. Having a police report can be helpful further down the road to extend a credit freeze. Call your local police department and file a police report. You can “freeze” your credit score by calling each of the three main reporting bureaus. Call the Social Security Administration, the FTC, and the IRS to report your social security number being stolen. Once you realize you have become a victim, start keeping track of all of your expenses. There are steps you can take to recover your identity and resolve the situation. If you have already fallen victim to one of these scams, do not despair. Reporting these calls to the proper authorities can help prevent future callers, and future victims. You can also file a complaint at the OIG’s website. You can also report these callers to the Office of the Inspector General for the SSA. You can report the call at the FTC’s website. Record the phone number and the date of the call to report it to the Federal Trade Commission. These are scammers trying to swindle you out of your money, not the federal government.Īs soon as you receive one of these calls, write down as much information about the call as you can.

Know that the Social Security Administration will never ask you to wire them money, send them cash, or put money on a gift card and then give them the information on the card. These scammers also often ask for payments to ensure the continuation of your social security benefits. If you have any doubts as to whether a phone call is legitimately from the Social Security Administration, simply call them yourself at (800)772-1213, TTY (800)325-0778. The real Social Security Administration will only call you to finish working on an issue, or if you have contacted them first and requested to be contacted. Know that the location services, or the look of the number can be deceptive. They can go as far as putting “Washington D.C.,” as the origination of the call. Scammers have technology that will let them mimic government phone numbers.

Your social security number cannot be suspended, blocked, or revoked. If a number you do not recognize calls you and threatens to suspend your social security number, simply hang up. To prevent being phished, the most effective technique is to not give out any information. Not to worry Marilyn, we are here to help! There are plenty of ways to prevent being scammed, and a few ways to recover after being scammed. Hang up the phone, or simply do not answer if you do not recognize the number. These criminals are deceptive and will try to scare you into giving them your information. Phishing is when a person asks you questions to have you divulge personal information that they can later use to steal your identity. These phone calls are the latest in a slew of phishing scams by criminals to steal your personal information. You are under no obligation to give the person claiming to be from the SSA your social security number, nor should you. Government agencies will only call after sending a letter to you. The first thing you need to know is that the Social Security Administration will never call you out of the blue.

Social security administration telephone number