The Oregon Department of Revenue has recently seen a spike in concerned taxpayers reporting fishy phone calls. The callers fraudulently identify themselves as Social Security representatives and threaten the taxpayer with deactivating their Social Security number or account because of suspicious activity.
The scammers may ask for personal information and bank account information. In addition, caller IDs may even show the real Social Security Administration number (1-800-772-1213) when the scammers call, but they’re faking the number.
“We encourage the public to protect themselves by verifying they’re speaking with authorized representatives of the Social Security Administration if they have any questions about the legitimacy of the call,” said Department of Revenue Director Nia Ray.
The Social Security Administration urges those receiving such calls to hang up and call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 to speak to a real SSA representative. Never give any part of your Social Security number, bank account number or credit card number to anyone who contacts you via phone.
Recipients of the calls can notify the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov/complaint. Scammers can also be reported to the Office of Inspector General on its hotline at 1-800-269-0271 or online at oig.ssa.gov/report.