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'We Just Suspended Your Social Security Number': Police Warn Of Phone Scam

RICHMOND, Va. (CBS Local) -- State troopers are warning residents in Virginia about a Social Security scam.

In this case, the scammers, pretending to be an employee of the Social Security Administration, claim that a Social Security number was compromised.

"This call is from the Department of Social Security Administration," according to the transcription of a call received by a resident in Harrisonburg, WHSV reported. "The reason you have received this phone call from our department is to inform you that we just suspended your Social Security number because we found some suspicious activity."

The message continues and instructs the person to press 1 to learn more about the case.

#Virginians beware of the latest scam trend targeting phones with 804, 540 & 434 area codes where the caller claims that...

Posted by Virginia State Police on Wednesday, August 7, 2019

But police say that the Social Security Administration does not call to alert of such problems.

"You would get a formal letter through the mail or somebody would maybe come to your house but they're not going to call you,"said Sgt. Brent Coffey with Virginia State Police's Culpeper Division.

The scammers are specifically targeting numbers with 804, 540 and 434 area codes, police said.

Officials advise anyone who receives such a call to just hang up and never give out personal information.

If you receive these calls, you are urged to report them to the Office of the Inspector General at 1-800-269-0271 or click here.

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