Beware of Scammers Pretending to be from Social Security

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan is warning San Diegans on behalf of the Federal Trade Commission of a scam in which callers targeting the San Diego area are pretending to be from the Social Security Administration in an attempt to obtain social security numbers for financial crimes. Senior citizens are particularly vulnerable to this scam and have been a main target. [TWEET THIS]

There are multiple versions of the rip-off. For example, in some cases the caller may say your social security number has been linked to a crime and has been blocked, but that for a fee it could be reinstated. The caller will then ask you to verify your social security number. Another variation involves the caller saying that your social security number has been used to apply for multiple credit cards, which could cause you to lose your social security benefits. Or the caller may say that your bank account is on the verge of being seized and that you must withdraw all of your cash, which the caller will conveniently tell you he or she can keep safe.

“All of these are scams,” District Attorney Summer Stephan said. “Do not provide your social security number or banking information to any caller, even if the caller ID shows Social Security’s 1-800 number. Instead, hang up and call Social Security to verify. Unfortunately, scammers use technology to make any number they want appear on a caller ID.” [TWEET THIS]

The Social Security Administration’s phone number is 1-800-772-1213.