Mom called me genuinely worried. “Kim, I got a recorded call. A stern voice said it was the Social Security Administration, that my Social Security number has been suspended because of suspicious activity, and that I had to press 1 immediately or I’d lose my benefits and could even be arrested. It gave me a case number. It sounded so official.”
“Mom, that’s a scam — and there’s one fact that proves it beyond any doubt: your Social Security number cannot be suspended. That simply isn’t a thing that happens, to anyone, ever.” The real Social Security Administration would never call you like that, and would never threaten you.
I’ve spent 30 years keeping computer systems safe, and government-impersonation calls like this one are among the most common scams in the country — and among the most frightening, because they’re built to scare you into acting before you can think.
The call claims to be from Social Security, Medicare, or the IRS, and it comes in two flavors. The scary version: your number is suspended, your benefits are cut off, there’s a warrant for your arrest — press 1 or call this number now. The helpful version: we’re sending your new Medicare card, we just need to verify your number first. Either way, they’re after two things — your Social Security or Medicare number, and often a payment “to fix it” (in gift cards or wire transfer, naturally).
Here are the facts that give it away every time:
Your Social Security number cannot be suspended or cancelled — it’s yours for life. Social Security, Medicare, and the IRS do not call you out of the blue to threaten you, demand payment, or ask you to confirm your number — they send letters. No real agency accepts gift cards, and none will threaten you with arrest over the phone. And your Medicare number is as precious as your Social Security number — medical identity theft is real, so never read it out to someone who called you.
The fix is calm and simple: hang up. Don’t press any buttons — pressing 1 only tells them a live person answered, and the calls get worse. If you’re ever truly unsure whether something is really from these agencies, hang up and call them yourself at the real number: Social Security at 1-800-772-1213, or Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). Never the number the call gave you.
Kim’s 3 Rules
1. Your Social Security number can never be suspended or cancelled. Anyone who says so is lying to you.
2. Social Security, Medicare, and the IRS send letters — they don’t call to threaten you or demand payment.
3. Never give your Social Security or Medicare number to anyone who called you. Hang up and call the real agency yourself.
If it already happened
If you gave out your number, take a breath — you can get ahead of this. Report it at oig.ssa.gov (Social Security’s fraud office), and go to IdentityTheft.gov, which walks you through a personal recovery plan step by step. If it was your Medicare number, call 1-800-MEDICARE. Consider placing a free credit freeze at all three credit bureaus so no one can open accounts in your name. If you sent money, call your bank or card company right away, and report the call at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Mom listened to that robocall bark its threats, and then she did the single most powerful thing you can do to a scammer: she hung up. Then she called me, and together we dialed the real Social Security number just to be certain. Everything was perfectly fine. “Well,” she said, “they picked the wrong grandmother.”
Kim spent 30 years in computer security and now helps her 80-year-old mom — and you — stay safe online. Got a strange email, text, or call? Ask Kim first.
💡 Have a question for Kim? Use “Questions from readers” just above — Kim answers within the hour. Comments here are for sharing with other members (but Kim reads them too).
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