Don't Fall For It: This Social Security Number Scam Has Cost 35K Victims $10 Million, FTC Says

A consumer alert has been issued about a new phone scam that has already cost tens of thousands of victims millions.

01/03/2019 8:14 a.m.

Imposters pretending to be from the Social Security Administration call victims and tell a fake story about their Social Security number being compromised in an attempt to obtain personal information, according to the Federal Trade Commission.

In 2018, the scam cost 35,000 victims $10 million.

“To compare: in 2017, we heard from 3,200 people about SSA imposter scams, and those people reported losing nearly $210,000,” the FTC said in a statement.

The imposters also sometimes say that the victim’s bank account is about to be seized, before asking the victim to put the money on gift cards and giving the caller the codes to keep it safe.

“Which, of course, means that your money is gone,” the FTC said.

"The Social Security Administration (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," said the FTC statement. "Every time."

For more info, including an audio sample of a scam call, click here.

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