In the shadow world of tricksters posing as government officials, the Social Security Administration scam is the new IRS scam. 

Whether via a robo or direct call, fear is always the bait to get people to respond. 

It starts with a scary message that your SSA number has been suspended or that the account is threatened in some way that requires immediate action. 

Next, they will ask to confirm your SSA number and personal information or say you need to withdraw money from the bank and store in gift cards that they will then assist you in “safekeeping”.

Stay safe by following these simple rules provided on FTC.gov.

n The real Social Security Administration will never contact you out of the blue. If the administration is trying to reach you, they will send a mail notice

Best practice: Call SSA directly at 1-800-772-1213 to find out if SSA is really trying to reach you via phone or email and why.

n Do not trust caller ID. Scam calls may show up on caller ID as the Social Security Administration and look like the agency’s real number. 

Best practice: Let it go to voice mail. To check legitimacy, call SSA directly.

n Never give the caller your Social Security number or other personal information. If you already did, visit IdentityTheft.gov/SSA to find out what steps you can take to protect your credit and your identity.

Report government imposter scams to the FTC at FTC.gov/complaint. To learn more, visit ftc.gov/imposters.