Is that call or message from Social Security real?

A caller or online contact says they are from the Social Security Administration (SSA) or its Office of the Inspector General (OIG). They may say your Social Security number is suspended or was used in a crime. They may offer to check your benefits or your work record. Then they ask for your number, your bank details or a payment.¹²

The OIG lists what real Social Security and OIG employees will never do. They will never contact you unexpectedly to ask for personal information or bank account details. They will never threaten to suspend your number or seize your bank account, tell you to move your money to protect it, or ask you to keep secrets. They will never demand payment by gift cards, gold, prepaid debit cards, payment apps, cryptocurrency, wire transfers or cash.¹

You may still have a real question about your benefits. Do not use the call or message to find out. Check your record yourself, as shown below.¹

One trick is new enough to name. In an alert dated July 29, 2026, the OIG described calls that start with someone claiming to be a store, a bank or another agency, asking about a purchase you did not make. Then the caller “transfers” you to someone who says they are from Social Security or the OIG.² The OIG says real companies and agencies cannot transfer your call directly to SSA or OIG. If a call connects you to someone claiming to be from SSA or OIG, it is a scam, without exception, every time.²

Here is the kind of call to watch for:

How to tell

• A threat to suspend your number or seize your bank account. Real SSA and OIG employees never do this.¹
• A call passed to “Social Security” from a store, bank or other agency. The OIG says this is a scam every time.²
• A request to keep it secret. SSA and OIG will never ask you to keep the call a secret.²
• A demand to pay in a certain way. Gift cards, gold, prepaid debit cards, payment apps, cryptocurrency, wire transfers or cash.¹
• Pressure to sign documents, move money or act right away.²
• A helpful-sounding offer. Someone offers to use your number to verify your work record or address, or to check whether anyone applied for benefits in your name. They may send you to an online form or a website that looks official. The OIG says this is a common pretext to get your number.¹
• A government number on caller ID. Do not trust caller ID alone. Scammers can spoof real government numbers.²

What to do

1. Hang up right away. Do not press any numbers or stay on the line to be transferred.²
2. Do not share your Social Security number with anyone who contacts you first, no matter how routine the request sounds.¹
3. Find out whether anything is really wrong or owed. Check your earnings record and benefit information in your personal my Social Security account at ssa.gov/myaccount.¹ Or call Social Security directly at 1-800-772-1213.¹ Use a number you find yourself, not one given during the call.²
4. If the caller said there were charges at a store or bank, call that bank or store directly.²

If you already paid or shared information

1. Stop talking to the caller. Never give personal information or payment to an unexpected contact.¹
2. Change the login details for any accounts that may have been compromised.²
3. If you are worried about fraudulent charges, call your bank or the store directly.²
4. If you think your identity was stolen, report it to the Federal Trade Commission at IdentityTheft.gov.¹

Where to report it

• Social Security scams. Report them at ssa.gov/scam.¹²
• Identity theft. Report it at IdentityTheft.gov.¹