State reports spike in Social Security scam calls

The Oregon Department of Revenue reported Friday it has recently seen a spike in concerned taxpayers reporting “fishy phone calls,” many involving fake claims of problems with their Social Security accounts.

The callers fraudulently identify themselves as Social Security representatives and threaten the taxpayer with deactivating their Social Security number or account because of suspicious activity.

The scammers may ask for personal information and bank account information. In addition, your caller ID may even show the real Social Security Administration number (1-800-772-1213) when the scammers call—but they’re faking the number.

“We encourage the public to protect themselves by verifying they’re speaking with authorized representatives of the Social Security Administration if they have any questions about the legitimacy of the call,” said Department of Revenue Director Nia Ray.

The Social Security Administration advises that if you suspect the call is a scam, hang up and call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 to speak to a real SSA representative. 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 one of these calls, notify the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov/complaint. You can also report scams to the Office of Inspector General on their hotline at 1-800-269-0271 or online at https://oig.ssa.gov/report.