Is that Social Security or Medicare call a scam?
Social Security and Medicare impersonation scams are among the highest-volume phone frauds in the United States, disproportionately affecting adults over 60. The most common variant: a robocall or live caller says your Social Security Number has been 'suspended' due to 'suspicious activity' or that it was found connected to drug trafficking, money laundering, or another crime. You must call back urgently to prevent arrest or loss of benefits.
Medicare scams follow a parallel structure: a caller claims your Medicare card needs to be updated or reissued, and asks you to confirm your Medicare number and date of birth to 'verify your identity'. Your Medicare number is then used for fraudulent billing.
Neither the Social Security Administration (SSA) nor the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) operate this way. The SSA does not 'suspend' Social Security Numbers. Medicare does not call to issue new card numbers. These are definitively fraudulent calls.
🚩 Red flags to watch for
- ▶A call claims your SSN has been 'suspended' or is involved in criminal activity — SSNs cannot be suspended.
- ▶An arrest warrant is threatened unless you call back immediately.
- ▶Payment is demanded via gift cards, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency to 'protect' your benefits.
- ▶A caller asks you to verify or confirm your Medicare number, SSN, or banking details over the phone.
- ▶The caller ID shows a government agency number — caller ID can be spoofed to display any number.
✅ What to do
- 1Hang up immediately. Do not engage, press any buttons, or call back.
- 2If you're concerned about your actual Social Security account, contact the SSA directly: ssa.gov or 1-800-772-1213.
- 3For Medicare, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) using the official number.
- 4Report SSA impersonation scams to the SSA Office of Inspector General at oig.ssa.gov.
- 5Talk to older relatives about this scam proactively — these calls specifically target people who may not immediately recognise them.
📣 Where to report (by country)
🇺🇸 United States
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Action Fraud
- Police Scotland — call 101
🇦🇺 Australia
🇨🇦 Canada
🌍 Everywhere else
- Contact your local police and your bank immediately
- If money was sent, ask your bank about a recall request — act within hours
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Common questions
Can the SSA actually suspend my Social Security Number?
No. Social Security Numbers cannot be suspended, deactivated, or made inactive. This claim is a fabrication. The SSA has no authority or mechanism to do this — any caller claiming otherwise is committing fraud.
The caller had the last four digits of my SSN. Doesn't that mean they're from the SSA?
No. The last four digits of SSNs are the least protected part and frequently appear in data breaches. The SSA will never call you out of the blue and demand immediate action to prevent arrest. That is not how any government agency operates.