People pretending to be a representative from the Social Security Administration (SSA) continue to trip consumers up.  In one version of the scam, a caller says they’re from the SSA and informs the consumer that their social security number has been associated with a drug or money laundering crime.  Because of this “crime” the SSN has been blocked their number and requires a fee to reactive it or to get a new number.  In order to start the process, the consumer will be asked to confirm their number.  The caller is typically a gentleman stating he’s from Texas.

Other variations of this scam include someone using your SSN to apply for a credit card and not resolving the issue quickly will result in your benefits being lost, or your bank account is about to be seized and he’ll tell you how to keep it safe—but first, you’ll need to withdraw money.

If the scenario ever makes you uncomfortable or just feels sketchy, it likely is.  Here’s what you need to know to keep yourself safe:

• The SSA will never call and ask for your number.  They’ll never threaten your benefits and won’t ask you to pay anything
• A quick glance at your caller ID might show the SSA real phone number (1-800-772-1213) but with today’s computers making it easy to display any number, you can’t trust what you see.  Trust your gut.
• Never give your social security, last for your SSN, bank account or credit card number to anyone who reaches out to you—ever.
• Anyone who requests money, gift cards, wires is a scammer—always.

If believe your or someone you know have fallen victim to this type of fraud, call the real SSA at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).