Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig is warning residents to be aware of a growing fraudulent telephone scam from people posing as the Social Security Administration, notifying you that they have suspended your Social Security card number due to suspicious activity.
In some cases, the callers ask you to “press one” so that they can provide you with additional information about “this case.” If you press one, you will be linked directly to a con artist who will try to scare you into providing personal information like a Social Security or credit-card number.
The important tips to remember:
* 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. Anyone who tells you to do those things is a scammer. Every time.
* SSA’s official telephone number is 1-800-772-1213, but scammers are putting that number in the caller ID by way of a spoofing device. If you’re worried about what the caller says, hang up and call 1-800-772-1213 to speak to the real SSA. Even if the wait time is long, confirm with the real SSA before responding to one of these calls.
* Never give any part of your Social Security number, bank information or credit-card information to anyone who contacts you.
