North Texas

Beware of Social Security Administration Scam Calls

According to the Social Security Administration, scammers are calling consumers across the country and urging them to act fast, because their Social Security number is being used and abused by a fraudster.

We've heard from several people who received similar calls and thought they were speaking with a real agent.

Phylissia Clark with the Better Business Bureau said it's one of the fastest-growing scams their office has seen in the last two years.

"We’re looking more like 35,000 people that had reported this scam and more like $10 million lost in it," said Clark.  "What they'll say is that you need to confirm your Social Security number so that we can take action against it."

For people who are hesitant, Clark said the scammers will them they'll file a lawsuit to get this information from you or will issue a warrant for their arrest.

Clark believes it's very similar to the IRS scam.

"The scammers are really smart and the IRS scams have gotten so much media attention that they do have to be creative and find something new to do," she explained.

The scam targets seniors, but people of all age groups have fallen for it.

"This scam hits everyone," she said. "We always say stop, pause, even if it seems urgent. You do not have to handle it in that moment and once you check with another relative or a friend, they can call these agencies directly and find out whether or not there is a legitimate thing to be worried about."

The Social Security Administration told us they are seeing a significant increase in reports of this scam.

They said SSA employees will never threaten a consumer for personal information, money, or gift cards, nor will they promise a Social Security benefit increase in exchange for personal information, money, or gift cards. In those cases, the call is fraudulent, and the consumer should just hang up.

If you believe you have fallen victim to this scam, click here for a recovery plan. You can also find more information on this scam here.

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