The Social Security Administration is warning people against a new scam trying to defraud people out of their Social Security checks.
The calls have been coming from a 323 area code and claim to be from a Social Security Administration employee, according to a release from the administration. The caller tells the victim they are eligible for an increase in their Social Security benefits for a 1.7% cost-of-living adjustment. The caller will then ask for personal information including their name, date of birth, Social Security number and parents’ names, for verification.
The information is later used to change the victim’s direct deposit, address and telephone number information, according to acting Inspector General of Social Security Gale Stallworth Stone.
The release states that while the SSA will contact people by phone for customer service, they will not ask for personal information over the phone. Anyone who receives a suspicious call from someone impersonating the SSA or its employees can report it to the Office of the Inspector General.
Stone warns that people should not give out Social Security numbers or bank account information over the phone unless they are certain about who they are speaking with.
“You must be very confident that the source is the correct business party, and your information will be secure after you release it,” Stone said.