Social Security Administration warns of phone scam

ATLANTA - The Social Security Administration is warning people to watch out for scam phone calls. 

In the calls, the scammers say your social security number will be suspended because of suspicious activity. The scammers often ask for money. 

Sherry Conk got this scam on her landline answering machine. She says the call raised red flags immediately. 

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"I knew it was a scam. The social security department does not call people, they usually send a letter," Conk said. 

She says the phone calls just kept coming. 

"I received six phone calls in the same day within 45 minutes of each other and they were coming from different states. They were coming from Kansas, then they went to Virginia and I even received some phone calls from New York," Conk said. 

According to the Social Security Administration, it sometimes sends emails and texts but it will never ask for personal or financial information through these methods. 

It says there are some telltale signs that a phone call claiming to be from the Social Security Administration is a scam.  

The agency will never threaten to arrest you or suspend your social security number. 

It will also never demand immediate payment from you or require payment to be made by cash, gift card, or prepaid card or wire transfer. 

Conk says she's thankful she had this knowledge before the scammers called. She hopes others are informed so they don't fall for these types of scams. 

" If you're receiving them every 45 minutes, it makes you feel like there's a sense of urgency.  I have elderly relatives that I don't want them to fall victim to something like this," Conk said. 

If you do get a scam call, the Social Security Administration recommends just hanging up. 

It also recommends reporting the call to the Office of the Inspector General. 

You can find more information here. 

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