Fraudulent calls from the IRS demanding payment for past taxes have become so common that many people have caught on and know to hang up on the callers. So, as they usually do, the scammers have changed their tactics. Now they are impersonating the Social Security Administration.
The scam is similar to the fake IRS calls. A scammer calls saying that an individual’s Social Security number has been suspended. They are even able to disguise their phone number so that the caller ID says they are calling from the Social Security Administration. The scammers then explain that their target victim will need to pay a fee to unsuspend their Social Security number and that the fee will be refunded to them once this is done.
The Social Security Administration does not suspend Social Security numbers. The fees paid to these callers are never refunded.
If you get a phone call that is purported to be from the Social Security Administration, the best thing to do is hang up. Do not give the caller your Social Security number or any payment information. Instead, if you are concerned called the Social Security Administration directly at 800-772-1213 to report the caller.