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Scam alert: Your social security number isn't suspended

Posted at 7:05 AM, Sep 18, 2018
and last updated 2018-11-21 17:46:04-05

A new twist to an old scam. The FTC is once again receiving phone calls about scammers claiming to work for the Social Security Administration. 

It's easy to think you're never going to fall for these schemes but crooks get very creative. 

This time, they're tricking people telling them they need to reactivate their suspended social security number because of some connection to fraud or other criminal activity.

They'll ask you to call a number to clear it up where they'll try to get your personal information. they pretend to be protecting you from a scam while they're trying to lure you into one. But here's the thing -- social security numbers do not get suspended. this is just another government impostor scam.

We asked financial expert Steve Budin what's the one thing you should know to keep your information safe.

"The best way not to fall for these scams is to never give out anything over the phone. If it's a legitimate agency, a legitimate company, They'll contact you by the mail. and you can always call them. But i would never ever give out information over the phone."

Here's some more tips to keep in mind:

  • Do not trust a name, phone number  or email address. con artists use official sounding names, caller IDs or email addresses.
  • Slow down and do some research online. 
  • If you already sent money to a scammer -- contact the company you used to send the money and tell them the transaction was a fraud.
  • if someone has tried to steal your your personal information pretending to be from a government entity, report it to the FTC. You can do it directly on their website.
     
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