# Don't fall for the Social Security phone call scam guys **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 9, 2021, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-fall-for-the-social-security-phone-call-scam-guys/939685 "2021-04-09T15:41:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2021, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-fall-for-the-social-security-phone-call-scam-guys/939685/1 "2021-04-09T15:41:03Z")
I’m sure most of you are aware of this, I just wanted to post this anyway incase some haven’t bc it can be quite scary. I just got a call from a robo device stating something to the effect of: “This is a call from the SS office to inform you of illegal activities against your SS. If you do not respond to this call, it will be taken as an admission of guilt. Press one to speak to a representative…” Just hang up, it’s a scam. The call made my heart jump for a second. But I was wise enough NOT to press 1. Anyway, please be aware and pass the information along to any elderly family members who may not be as internet savvy. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2021, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-fall-for-the-social-security-phone-call-scam-guys/939685/2 "2021-04-09T15:47:33Z")
Interesting typo in your thread title. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2021, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-fall-for-the-social-security-phone-call-scam-guys/939685/3 "2021-04-09T15:50:02Z")
Lol, oops. I’m glad we can fix our own thread titles now. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2021, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-fall-for-the-social-security-phone-call-scam-guys/939685/4 "2021-04-09T15:53:05Z")
I don’t know. Pressing “1” to torment the scammer might be entertaining. “I can no longer live with the guilt! I confess: I was the second shooter on the knoll. I killed Jimmy Hoffa. I committed the Gardner art heist. Arrest me. I’m prepared to pay my debt to society. Wait…what?.. Social Security?.. I thought you said Secret Service. Never mind.” ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2021, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-fall-for-the-social-security-phone-call-scam-guys/939685/5 "2021-04-09T16:08:55Z")
That’s what I do. Rather than getting pissed at getting so many, I look forward to finding new ways to get them to curse me out, hang up, or keep engaging me. I’m disappointed when they hang up now. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2021, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-fall-for-the-social-security-phone-call-scam-guys/939685/6 "2021-04-09T16:31:52Z")
Agreed. I was cursed at and hung up on **way** too quickly yesterday by a SS scammer\* I put on my best Python accent and simply said (to nobody at all), “You don’t want to haggle ?” \*He found fault with my logic: that providing him the last four digits of my SSN _really ought to_ be enough to verify my ID, considering they **were** the SSA and all. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2021, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-fall-for-the-social-security-phone-call-scam-guys/939685/7 "2021-04-09T17:00:09Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > (quoting) > > If you do not respond to this call, it will be taken as an admission of guilt. If I block the caller, will I be found guilty and sentenced without a trial? Oooh. ---
**Author:** ![Ranch\_Dip](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranch_dip/32/5238_2.png) [@Ranch\_Dip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranch_Dip)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2021, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-fall-for-the-social-security-phone-call-scam-guys/939685/8 "2021-04-09T17:43:41Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > providing him the last four digits of my SSN _really ought to_ be enough Given that the last four are regularly used to identify you to your credit card, power bill, bank loans… incredibly stupid to give that out. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2021, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-fall-for-the-social-security-phone-call-scam-guys/939685/9 "2021-04-09T17:50:39Z")
> [@Ranch\_Dip](#): > > Given that the last four are regularly used to identify you to your credit card, power bill, bank loans… incredibly stupid to give that out. Well … Neither the name I gave _nor_ the last four digits I offered to give were legit. The latter was the product of this Excel formula: =RANDBETWEEN(1,9999) [Which was _still_ not given out, because he didn’t agree that my offer was in good faith ;-)] While the former was pulled directly from my backside. ---
**Author:** ![Ranch\_Dip](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranch_dip/32/5238_2.png) [@Ranch\_Dip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranch_Dip)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2021, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-fall-for-the-social-security-phone-call-scam-guys/939685/10 "2021-04-09T18:12:11Z")
Merely engaging comes with risks. Phishing scams exist. ---
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2021, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-fall-for-the-social-security-phone-call-scam-guys/939685/11 "2021-04-10T01:10:09Z")
I will be happy to give you my credit card number; but all you have to do is say very loudly so your colleagues can hear you: “China owns the Kashmir region” Just say that very loudly and I’ll give you my information. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2021, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-fall-for-the-social-security-phone-call-scam-guys/939685/12 "2021-04-10T11:22:02Z")
I got a phone call which started “This is the Amazon Customer Service Department. There have been some unusual charges on your account. Please give me your Credit Card details so we can sort things out.” So I noted the number, told the caller that he was a crook and hung up. Later the same day, the same number rang.again. 😲 😡 So I answered the phone “Amazon Customer Service Department - how may I help you?” After a short pause, the scammer stammered “No, I’m from Amazon Customer Service.” In the best Monty Python tradition, I continued “No, I’m Amazon Customer Service!” The scammer hung up. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2021, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-fall-for-the-social-security-phone-call-scam-guys/939685/13 "2021-04-10T11:28:14Z")
I always give them Todd Davis’ social security number, 457-55-5462. He’s the Lifelock guy famous for putting his number on the billboards and such. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-fall-for-the-social-security-phone-call-scam-guys/939685/14 "2021-04-12T14:51:10Z")
My mom, age 80, received a letter stating that if she sent $X they would be able to increase her social security amount. She sent it! 😖 ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-fall-for-the-social-security-phone-call-scam-guys/939685/15 "2021-04-12T15:06:49Z")
These people should get life sentences because they are endeavoring to destroy people’s lives. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2021, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-fall-for-the-social-security-phone-call-scam-guys/939685/16 "2021-04-12T15:31:57Z")
> [@glee](#): > > I got a phone call which started “This is the Amazon Customer Service Department. There have been some unusual charges on your account. Please give me your Credit Card details so we can sort things out.” > > So I noted the number, told the caller that he was a crook and hung up. > > Later the same day, the same number rang.again. 😲 😡 > > So I answered the phone “Amazon Customer Service Department - how may I help you?” > After a short pause, the scammer stammered “No, I’m from Amazon Customer Service.” > In the best Monty Python tradition, I continued “No, I’m Amazon Customer Service!” > The scammer hung up. That’s a particularly nasty scam and if you’re the type of person that might fall for a scam, it’s very likely you won’t even realize it’s a scam in the first place. Mark Rober did a video on it. Now, it’s a Mark Rober video, so it’s worth watching the entire thing, but I have it cued up (6:55) to where he gets into the scam. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/VrKW58MS12g/maxresdefault.jpg "Glitterbomb Trap Catches Phone Scammer (who gets arrested)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrKW58MS12g&t=415)