The Grosse Pointe Woods Department of Public Safety has received numerous reports of scammers pretending to be from the Social Security office and trying to get personal information. The scammers appear to be targeting seniors who are receiving social security. Scammers are saying your Social Security number (SSN) has been suspended because of suspicious activity, or because it’s been involved in a crime. Sometimes, the scammer wants you to confirm your SSN to reactivate it. Or, they may say your bank account is about to be seized – and will tell you what to do to keep it safe. (Often, that involves putting your money on gift cards and giving him the codes – which, of course, means that your money is gone.)
Here's what to know:
• Your Social Security number is not about to be suspended. You don’t have to verify your number to anyone who calls out of the blue, and your bank accounts are not about to be seized.
• SSA will never call to threaten your benefits or tell you to wire money, send cash, or put money on gift cards.
• The real SSA number is 1-800-772-1213, but scammers are putting that number in the caller ID. If you’re worried about what the caller says, hang up and call 1-800-772-1213 to speak to an actual SSA agent. Even if the wait time is long, confirm with the real SSA agent before responding to one of these calls.
• Never give any part of your Social Security number to anyone who contacts you. Or your bank account or credit card number.
If you get these calls immediately hang up. Do not give out any information. If you receive these calls, please report the information to the Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-269-0271 or online at this link: https://oig.ssa.gov/report
Thank you,
Detective Ryan Schroerlucke
[email protected]
