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Social Security Administration Press Release
Thursday, March 6, 2025
For Immediate Release
Mark Hinkle, Press Officer
press.office@ssa.gov
Social Security and OIG Partner for National Slam the Scam Day,
Collaborating to Warn about SSA Impersonation Scams
The Social Security Administration (SSA) and its Office of the Inspector General (OIG) join forces once again to raise public awareness about Social Security imposter scams during the sixth annual “Slam the Scam” Day on March 6. Social Security related scams–where fraudsters mislead victims into sharing personal information, or making cash, wire transfer, or gift card payments to fix alleged Social Security number problems –are an ongoing government imposter fraud scheme.
Social Security impersonation scams impact all age groups and remain one of the most common government imposter scams reported to the Federal Trade Commission. Social Security continues to make concerted efforts to address this issue, through extensive outreach and investigative initiatives.
“I strongly urge our citizens to be vigilant and protect themselves from criminal threats,” said Lee Dudek, Acting Commissioner of Social Security. “Scammers use fear and pressure to steal money or personal information and I implore Americans to hang up, ignore the messages, and report any scam attempts to oig.ssa.gov.”
Social Security will never tell you that your Social Security number is suspended; contact you to demand an immediate payment; threaten you with arrest; ask for your credit or debit card numbers over the phone; request gift cards, wire transfer, gold, cash, cryptocurrency; or promise a Social Security benefit approval or increase in exchange for information or money.
Criminals use sophisticated tactics to trick potential victims into disclosing personal and financial information. Be skeptical and on the lookout for these red flags: Typically, they use these P’s – Pretend, Prize or Problem, Pressure, and Payment. For example, scammers pretend they are from Social Security in phone calls, texts, emails, websites, or direct messages on social media, and claim there is a problem with the person’s Social Security benefits or Social Security number. The scammer’s caller ID may be spoofed to look like a legitimate government number. Scammers may also send fake documents to pressure people into complying with demands for information or money. Other common tactics include citing “badge numbers,” using fraudulent Social Security letterhead, and creating imposter social media pages to target individuals for payment or personal information.
“Slam the Scam is one of our most effective anti-fraud measures and we are excited to spearhead the 6th National Slam the Scam Day. This campaign is just as significant as our first one because the losses are still too high and the number of consumers being scammed is still very concerning,” said Assistant Inspector General for Audit performing the duties of the Inspector General, Michelle L. Anderson.
Social Security employees do contact the public by telephone for business purposes. Ordinarily, the agency calls people who have recently applied for a Social Security benefit, are already receiving payments and require an update to their record, or have requested a phone call from the agency. If there is a problem with a person’s Social Security number or record, Social Security will typically mail a letter.
Beware of new scams related to the Social Security Fairness Act. For information, please visit Social Security Announces Expedited Retroactive Payments and Higher Monthly Benefits for Millions and Social Security Fairness Act: Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) update .
To report a scam attempt, go to oig.ssa.gov. For more information, please visit www.ssa.gov/scam and www.ssa.gov/fraud.
To get more Social Security news, follow the Press Office on X @SSAPress.
Dear Colleague,
In our ongoing commitment to serve the public more efficiently, we are expanding appointment-based services at our local Social Security offices. By scheduling appointments, we will aim to reduce wait times, streamline service delivery, and improve the overall customer experience. Nearly 400 field offices have already moved to appointment-based service this year. These offices have seen significant improvements in wait times due to more efficient and helpful visitor experiences and increases in the number of customers able to complete their business online.
We are implementing appointment-based services nationwide in two phases. The first phase is a transition period now through January 5, 2025. The purpose of this transition period is to educate our customers about needing to schedule an appointment for SSA services. As a reminder, many of our services can be provided via phone with an appointment and do not require a customer to walk into an office for service.
Effective January 6, 2025, we will require customers to schedule an appointment for service in our field offices, including requests for Social Security cards. We encourage customers to become accustomed to our:
- online services, where many transactions can be completed conveniently and securely, and
- automated services available on our National 800# at 1-800-772-1213.
Customers who are not able to handle their business online or with the automated options, may call their local Social Security office or our National 800# to schedule an appointment.
We want to make clear that we will not turn people away for service who are unable to make an appointment or do not want to make an appointment. For example, members of vulnerable populations, military personnel, people with terminal illnesses, and individuals with other situations requiring immediate or specialized attention may still walk in for service at our field offices. Some of our offices also have minimal to no wait times, and they will still serve customers who walk in.
We appreciate your partnership in sharing this information and helping our customers through this transition. Thank you for your continued support as we work together to improve service accessibility and responsiveness.
Sincerely,
Dawn Bystry
Associate Commissioner
Office of Strategic and Digital Communications