Social Security and Scam Awareness

Social Security and Scam Awareness

Social Security imposter scams continue to be widespread across the United States. Scammers use targeted, sophisticated tactics to deceive you into providing sensitive information or money.

If you receive a suspicious letter, text, email, or call, do not respond. We want you to know how to identify a scammer and avoid becoming a victim.

We only send text messages if you have opted in to receive texts from us and only in limited situations, including the following:

If you owe money to us, we will mail you a letter with payment options and appeal rights.

We encourage you to report suspected Social Security imposter scams — and other Social Security fraud — to the OIG’s website. You can find more information about scams on our webpage Protect Yourself from Scams. Please share this information with your friends, family, and colleagues to help spread awareness about Social Security imposter scams.

Did you find this Information helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

About the Author

Dawn Bystry, Associate Commissioner, Office of Strategic and Digital Communications

Deputy Associate Commissioner, Office of Strategic and Digital Communications

Related Articles

Protecting Your Retirement Money

Social Security Takes Fraud Seriously

What You Can Do To Protect Your Personal Information

Inspector General Warns Public about Widespread Social Security Scam Texts

Comments

Maria

May 10, 2024 10:12PM

Hello I received this text message, is this a scam? The number is 8559523551
This is the Social Security Administration. Confirmation of your In Office appointment with the local office on Tue May 21st at 09:00am. DO NOT REPLY

S.D.

May 13, 2024 3:22PM

Hi, Maria. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. Generally, we will only contact you if you have ongoing business with us. And, we will only send you text messages and emails if you have agreed to receive them and only in limited situations. If you’re not sure a text or email came from us, DON’T respond or click on any links in the message. You can report the suspicious text here . Please continue to be vigilant. For more information, check out Protect Yourself from Social Security Scams . We hope this helps.

Norma P.

May 8, 2024 6:19PM

It is with a sense of disappointment that we communicate to you that your account has been temporarily suspended as of now in response to existing security concerns. Let us center our attention on the assigned case ID. (CaseID: SSA-40905588) For streamlined communication with our Investigation team, please have the Case ID readily available. We appeal to your willingness to cooperate fully as your support is crucial in all aspects to achieve a timely resolution of the case. We extend our sincerest thanks for your remarkable dedication. Yours faithfully and respectfully,
Social Security Administration-Official-Team
United States of America

S.D.

May 9, 2024 5:53PM

Thanks for reading our blog, Norma. We do not suspend Social Security numbers. This message is likely a scam, and you can report it here. Generally, we will only contact you if you have requested a call or have ongoing business with us. To learn more about how to protect yourself from Social Security scams, check out our blog and webpage. We hope this helps.

Mary A.

May 13, 2024 6:51PM

I received a similar, almost word for word, email as Norma. Unfortunately, I sent a reply asking What does this mean? Only after I sent the reply did I see your blog that this is a scam. I plan to report this to OIG. Should I simply ignore further communications or is there something more I can do?

S.D.

May 17, 2024 7:46PM

Hi, Mary Ann. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. Generally, we will only contact you if you have ongoing business with us. And, we will only send you text messages and emails if you have agreed to receive them and only in limited situations. If you’re not sure a text or email came from us, DON’T respond or click on any links in the message. Please continue to be vigilant. For more information, check out our Protect Yourself from Social Security Scams webpage. We hope this helps.

Deb R.

April 16, 2024 4:35PM

Is this legit? Received an email: Your most recent-Statement is now available online for your review from no-reply-ssastatements-notifications-info@getresponse-mail.com on behalf of no-reply@SSATaxesCenter.G0V [no-reply@ssastatements-notifications.info] Your Social Security Statement is streamlined and easier to read than ever before. That is because we have redesigned the Statement to provide you the most useful information up front and at a glance. You can access your new Statement file to your account at : http://www.socialsecurity.gov/reviewyourstatement and then below has Password of your protected file is: and gives a number. I clicked on the link and it downloaded a zip file. I did not open it and deleted it.

John K.

April 17, 2024 7:04AM

Hi Deb,
I received this same email yesterday and wondered the same. It looked legit and I clicked on it and it downloaded the zip file to my iMac computer but my computer couldn’t open the file. Then I became suspicious and deleted. Hopefully we will hear a response from the SSA about this.

S.D.

May 1, 2024 11:02AM

Hi, John. Thanks for reading our blog and for your comments. Most emails from Social Security will come from a “.gov” email address. If an email address does not end in “.gov”, you should always use caution before opening attachments or clicking on pictures or links in the email. For more information, visit our Frequently Asked Questions. We hope this helps.

Linda H.

April 17, 2024 2:15PM

I got a similar message yesterday, but it included a “Password of your protected file” and an ID:0893627402277387-5790053312122906. Seemed dicey to me, so I didn’t click on any of the links. I assume it’s a scam, but sure looked legit!

S.D.

April 23, 2024 9:17AM

Hi, Deb. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. We will send an email once a year to remind you to review your online Social Security Statement. However, m ost emails from Social Security will come from a “.gov” email address. If an email address does not end in “.gov”, you should always use caution before opening attachments or clicking on pictures or links in the email. If you’re not sure an email or text came from us, DON’T respond to it or click on any links in the message. You can visit our Protect Yourself from Scams webpage to report the suspicious email and find more information. To learn more, visit our Frequently Asked Questions. We hope this helps.

Mo H.

April 11, 2024 10:02PM

I received a text message from phone #?833-588-1937 which reads: Message From SSA: Please call Karina Velasquez at 8552494175 ext.1021014042. Is this a spam?

S.D.

April 17, 2024 3:06PM

Hi, Mo. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. Generally, we will only contact you if you have ongoing business with us. And, we will only send you emails and text messages if you have agreed to receive them and only in limited situations. If you’re not sure a text or email came from us, DON’T respond to it or click on any links in the message. Visit our Protect Yourself from Scams webpage to report the suspicious text and find more information. We hope this helps.

Bill F.

April 4, 2024 5:47PM

I received an email from this address: cpanel.mco26.prodns.mx. It claimed to be the SSA. Here is the text:
“Dear client;
Your Social Security Statement is streamlined and easier to read than ever before. That is because we have redesigned the Statement to provide you the most useful information up front and at a glance.
We encourage you to check your Statement at least once a year to review:
Your earnings record (to make sure it’s accurate and notify us if you see any errors);
Other useful information that will explain your benefits and help you prepare for your financial future; and
New fact sheets that provide additional information based on your specific criteria like age group and earnings situation.
You can access your new Statement by signing into your account at socialsecurity.gov/review/viewyourstatement.
Now that you can access your Statement instantly and anytime online, we will not automatically send one by mail.
We hope you find your new Statement useful and informative.” I just signed up for Social Security 2 days ago.
The email had an attachment and I clicked on it. There was nothing there. Is this legit? I am afraid I have been scammed.

S.D.

April 22, 2024 11:01AM

Hi, Bill. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. Most emails from Social Security will come from a “.gov” email address. If an email address does not end in “.gov”, you should always use caution before opening attachments or clicking on pictures or links in the email. If you have a personal my Social Security account, we send an email once a year to remind you to review your online Social Security Statement. If you’re not sure an email or text came from us, DON’T respond to it. You can report the suspicious email here. For more information, visit our Frequently Asked Questions. We hope this helps.

Zyonna B.

March 27, 2024 4:21PM

Received March 27th, 2024 Dear, [email] We deeply regret to inform you that your Social Security number has been temporarily suspended due to the discovery of suspicious and illegal activities during our investigation. Kindly direct your attention to the case ID provided. (CaseID: SSA-4162507040) To ensure effective handling of your inquiry, kindly state the associated Case ID when contacting our Query Support team. We strongly encourage your active participation and cooperation as your assistance is necessary to promptly solve the case. We greatly appreciate your support and cooperation. Thank you Social Security Administration
USA

S.D.

April 1, 2024 5:06PM

Hi, Zyonna. Thanks for reading our blog. You can report the suspicious email here. Generally, we will only contact you if you have ongoing business with us. And, we will only send you emails and text messages if you have agreed to receive them and only in limited situations. If you’re not sure an email or text came from us, DON’T respond to it or click on any links in the message. For more information, check out our recent blog about our annual Slam the Scam Day held March 7. We hope this helps.

asud r.

March 8, 2024 3:43AM

Are you looking to buy Apple developer Accounts but don’t want the hassle of buying a Developer Program membership? Then trialaccs.com is here to help! With our team of dedicated professionals, we have made it easier and more convenient than ever before access to a full-fledged and fully fledged to Buy Apple Developer Accounts. Forget about waiting days or weeks for your account—we make it happen in minutes! Enjoy all the benefits that come with an Apple Dev subscription such as app ads, API keys and App Store hosting, plus access a comprehensive suite of resources available exclusively for developers like yourself. Make trialaccs.com your one-stop shop for all things related to iOS development today!

Bob

March 7, 2024 5:17PM

I received a text message from 95342 with the link https://secure.ssa.gov/RIL and not sure it’s real. Will SSA please confirm?

C.B.

March 11, 2024 7:43AM

Hi, Bob. Thanks for reading our blog and for your question. The text appears to be legitimate. However, please continue to be cautious. Any links you find within these text messages should always point to a “.gov/” web address. If you’re not sure a text came from us or one of our marketing firms, DON’T respond to it or click on any links in the text message. We hope this helps.

Dr. H.

March 7, 2024 1:42PM

I received an email from support@no-replyssastatements.com but cannot tell if this is legitimate or not.

C.B.

March 11, 2024 7:52AM

Hi, Dr. HC. Thanks for using our blog. Most emails from Social Security will come from a “.gov” email address. If an email address does not end in “.gov”, use caution before opening attachments or clicking on pictures or links in the email. Currently, Social Security sends emails from noreply@ssa.gov, subscription.service@subscriptions.ssa.gov, ThankYou@ssa.gov, DoNotReply@ssa.gov, and echosign.com. In a few instances, we use marketing firms to raise awareness of Social Security’s online services, and this includes creating a personal my Social Security account. We allow these firms to send email directly to individuals. Any links you find within these emails should always point to a “.gov/” web address. We hope this information is helpful.

MSA

March 27, 2024 4:39PM

I rec’d an email from
entitled “Your Social Security Statement is now available.” It has an attachment to download.

MSA

March 27, 2024 4:40PM

MSA

March 27, 2024 4:42PM from email keeps erasing after I submit. Sorry. jnogan AT ecsc.k12.in.us

S.D.

April 5, 2024 4:04PM

Thanks for reading our blog and for your comment. If you have a personal my Social Security account, we send an email once a year to remind you to review your online Social Security Statement. For more information, visit our Frequently Asked Questions. Most emails from Social Security will come from a “.gov” email address, including no-reply@ssa.gov . If an email address does not end in “.gov”, you should always use caution before opening attachments or clicking on pictures or links in the email. We hope this helps.