Social Security Warning Issued to Millions

Fraudsters have allegedly infiltrated their way into a Social Security office in New York and supplied flyers with false helpline information.

Hundreds of Social Security recipients fall prey to scams conducted by criminals every year. They steal funds from some of the most vulnerable people in society, including the retired, disabled and survivors of deceased claimants. However, a new scam has allegedly come from within a Social Security Administration (SSA) office in Harlem, New York.

An article published in The Intercept on Sunday, March 17 said media law attorney and reporter Shawn Musgrave was handed a flyer with contact information purportedly for another SSA office in Manhattan. However, when he dialed the number, it turned out to be a scam. He was given the flyer by an employee at the Harlem SSA office while trying to get a replacement Social Security card.

"It was a cheery automated message, not what I expected when I called the number for the Social Security Administration's primary office in Manhattan," Musgrave said. An automated message told him he had been selected for a $100 reward, and told him to "press 1" to connect with an SSA agent.

It turned out that the number on the flyer was one digit off the genuine Social Security number for the Manhattan office. When Musgrave told a desk agent at the office, they informed a manager. When asked by The Intercept regarding the incident, the office said "we were made aware" of the scam number on the flyer and "that's why we stopped giving those out."

"There are a ton of scams that use government agencies," said Kathy Stokes, director of fraud prevention at the AARP's Fraud Watch Network. These include "pretending to be the SSA and saying there's a problem with your number or that your card has been suspended. But nothing like this."

"I find that very concerning," Stokes added. "I can't imagine how that would happen other than that someone on the inside being involved in it."

The Social Security inspector general's office is looking into the incident, the SSA told Newsweek. It also clarified that the correct number for the Manhattan Social Security Card Center is 866-657-3406.

In a release by the SSA issued earlier in March, the government agency said that scammers used a variety of tactics known as the five Ps: "Pretend, Prize or Problem, Pressure, and Payment."

Common scams involve a fraudster saying a person's Social Security number or benefits is suspended and they need their personal information to fix the issue; being told they need to pay to access their benefits; or that a person owes money to the SSA and is required to pay immediately.

"Other common tactics include citing 'badge numbers,' using fraudulent Social Security letterhead, and creating imposter social media pages to target individuals for payment or personal information," the SSA said in the release.

Have you been targeted by a Social Security scam? Have you been able to get your money back or not? Email a.higham@newsweek.com

Update 3/18/24, 12:08 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from the SSA.