Social Security Administration impersonation scams
Last verified:
Scammers pose as the Social Security Administration (SSA) or SSA Office of the Inspector General (OIG). They may claim your Social Security number is suspended, benefits are at risk, or you owe a fine — and pressure you to pay or share personal information. According to SSA guidance, SSA will not threaten you or demand unexpected payment this way.
- Impersonated brand
- Social Security Administration (SSA) and SSA Office of the Inspector General
- Scam type
- Government impersonation
- Common delivery methods
- Phone call, Email, SMS / text message, Social media, Letter
How this scam works
You receive an unexpected call, text, email, social media message, or letter claiming to be from SSA or SSA OIG. The scammer may use a real employee name, spoof a government phone number, or send fake badge images to appear legitimate. They may claim there is a problem with your Social Security number, benefits, or identity and urge immediate action. Payment requests may involve gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, cash, or gold. Some reported versions ask you to meet in person to hand over money.
Warning signs
- Threats to suspend your Social Security number or arrest you if you do not pay immediately.
- Unexpected requests for your Social Security number, bank details, or Medicare number by phone or message.
- Photos of badges or credentials sent to prove legitimacy.
- Demands for gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, cash, or precious metals.
- Caller ID showing a government number — scammers can spoof numbers.
- Social media accounts mimicking SSA branding without official verification.
How to verify safely
- Treat unexpected SSA or OIG outreach as suspicious until independently verified.
- Do not trust caller ID alone.
- Use official SSA contact options from ssa.gov — not numbers or links from the message.
- Consider creating or securing your my Social Security account through ssa.gov directly.
- Talk to someone you trust before sending money in response to a government threat.
If you received this message
- Hang up or stop responding — do not provide personal information.
- Do not send money, gift cards, or cryptocurrency.
- Report the contact to SSA OIG at oig.ssa.gov/report.
- Report fake social media profiles to the platform.
If you already clicked or paid
- Stop further contact with the scammer.
- Notify your bank or payment provider immediately.
- File a report with local law enforcement and retain evidence.
- Report to ic3.gov and ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Official reporting guidance
- Report Social Security scams to oig.ssa.gov/report.
- Report to ReportFraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov.
- Report spoofed social media accounts to the platform.
- Contact local law enforcement if you handed over cash or met someone in person.
Check a suspicious link
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SSA and SSA OIG are real agencies with legitimate processes. This alert describes criminal impersonation. Fraudly cannot verify whether a specific call or message is genuine.
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