NEW ORLEANS — If you get a call from someone who claims your Social Security Number has been suspended and asks for personal information, hang up the phone.
That's the warning sheriffs in Terrebonne and St. Tammany parish issued to their residents Monday. Both officials say they've received multiple reports from people who claim they were tricked into giving money and personal information to "a Social Security Administration representative" over the phone.
Real SSA employees, however, will never call citizens for official purposes, and anyone claiming they are with the federal agency is lying.
Terrebonne Sheriff Jerry Larpenter says residents in his parish fell victim to this scam and unknowingly gave personal information like their Social Security and bank account numbers to people over the phone. Some were instructed to make wire payments to "unflag" their SSN.
The scam goes like this: Someone calls you saying they are from the federal agency and that you must call another phone number because your SSN has been suspended.
From there, this "representative" who is called forcefully asks for personal identification information, including your bank account numbers.
Larpenter said people need to be on guard for these all-too-familiar scams, and never give personal information to anyone they don't know.
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St. Tammnay Parish Sheriff Randy Smith says they've received the same reports, and that residents should hang up and call STPSO if they get this call.
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If you get called, you can call the Social Security Office at (800) 269-0271 or submit a report to them here.
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