Social Security Phone Scam Alert

The Better Business Bureau is warning residents of a rise in Social Security scam calls targeting individuals. There are many variations of this scam call that residents may receive, but typically a caller, “robocall” or voicemail will inform an individual that there is a problem with their Social Security account. The caller scares the individual into believing if the problem is not resolved immediately, the individual may have their Social Security Number (SSN) suspended or their assets frozen.

Better Business Bureau Tips on dealing with the SSN phone scam:

Caller ID can be Spoofed: A con artist can easily disguise the actual phone number they are calling from, therefore caller ID is not always reliable. Scammers will often change the number they are calling from to be an 814 area code, making it look like the call is coming from somewhere local.

Calls from Government Agencies: A government agency, like the SSA and IRS, will never call unsolicited to request personal information or money. If you get a call from a government agency, the best thing to do is hang up and call the known customer service number for the agency to verify yourself that money or personal info is needed. The real Social Security Administration can be reached at 1-800-772-1213.

Callers use Scare Tactics: Scammers will use any means necessary to try to trick you into giving over personal information, like contact information, birth date, bank account info, social security number, etc. They use intimidation, scare tactics and are sometimes just plain rude!


Report Scams: You can report phone scams to your Better Business Bureau at 877-267-5222 or online at bbb.org/scamtracker. If you have any questions about a suspicious call or potential scam, BBB would be glad to help you verify legitimacy or explain the scam.

Erie News Now news coverage:
http://www.erienewsnow.com/story/39542666/social-security-scam-hits-erie-area