The Federal Trade Commission warned on Friday about scammers attempting to steal Social Security numbers from unsuspecting people.
Financial advisors should tell their clients not to give out Social Security numbers or personal information unless they are sure about who they are talking to and to report any suspected wrongdoing immediately.
“Your Social Security number is an important key for an identity thief. Scammers want it, and they think of all sorts of ways to trick you into giving it away," the FTC said in a statement.
The FTC has received complaints about calls from scammers claiming to be from the Social Security Administration. The callers say there has been a computer problem, and they need to confirm the person’s Social Security number.
Other scammers use websites that look like official sites to apply for a new Social Security card, but which are actually a setup to steal personal information.
“If you get a phone call or are directed to a website other than ssa.gov that is claiming to be associated with the Social Security Administration, do not respond,” the FTC said.
In addition, the agency said, do not give unknown callers any personal information and do not trust a name or telephone number unless you know it is legitimate.
If fraud is suspected, call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 to verify the reason for the contact and the person’s identity prior to providing any information to the caller. Suspected scams should be reported to the Social Security Administration’s Fraud Hotline at 1-800-269-0271/1-866-501-2101(TTY) and the FTC.