The short answer
A real government agency will not threaten you with arrest or the loss of your benefits, will not demand immediate payment, and will not ask you to pay with a gift card, cash, wire transfer or cryptocurrency. Applying for Social Security, SSI, SNAP, Medicaid or Medicare costs nothing, and annual increases such as the cost-of-living adjustment arrive without any action from you. If a call, text, email or letter breaks these rules, stop, do not use the phone number or link it gives, and check with the agency through its official number or website. Report Social Security scams to the SSA Inspector General at oig.ssa.gov/report, Medicare scams to 1-800-MEDICARE, and stolen SNAP benefits to your state agency. If you already paid or shared information, call your bank at once and visit IdentityTheft.gov.
"The caller ID said Social Security, so it was them."
Caller ID proves nothing. Scammers can make a call appear to come from a real government number, including the Inspector General's own fraud hotline. The Inspector General has said its staff do not make outgoing calls from that number, so a call that shows it is a scam. A caller who says another company or agency is transferring you directly to Social Security is also a warning sign, and so is an official-looking letterhead or badge number. Real email from Social Security comes from addresses ending in .gov, but even that can be imitated, so treat a link as a reason to go to the website yourself. Scam texts and emails often use shortened links or addresses with one letter changed; typing ssa.gov or medicare.gov into the browser yourself avoids both.
"They knew my Social Security number. They must be real."
Knowing your name, address or the last digits of your Social Security number is not proof of identity. That information is often bought from data breaches and used precisely because it sounds official. Never give your full Social Security number, bank details, Medicare number or a one-time security code to someone who contacted you, however much they already seem to know.
"If I don't act today, I'll lose my benefits."
Urgency is the scammer's main tool, and real agencies do not use it this way. Social Security says its employees will not threaten you with arrest or other legal action if you do not provide information or pay a fee, and neither it nor its Office of the Inspector General will demand immediate payment. No real agency asks to be paid with gift cards, prepaid debit cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency or cash by mail.
Real deadlines exist, but they arrive in writing, give you time, and can be confirmed through your own account or the agency's official number. A deadline that will not survive one phone call to check it is not real.
"My cost-of-living increase needs me to confirm my details."
The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment is automatic and needs no action from you; see our COLA guide. The same is true of most refunds and adjustments you have not asked for. Offers of a government grant you never applied for, an unclaimed refund that requires a fee, or a benefit increase you must activate are versions of the same scam: something offered instead of something threatened, with the same pressure to act now and tell no one.
"Paying someone will get my claim approved faster."
Applying for Social Security, SSI, SNAP, Medicaid or Medicare is free everywhere, so a fee to apply, to speed up a decision or to guarantee approval is a warning sign. Our guide to applying for benefits explains the official ways to apply. Legitimate help with an appeal from a lawyer or representative is different: their fees are regulated, and for Social Security claims must be approved by the agency.
"Medicare is calling about my new card."
Medicare will not contact you uninvited to ask for your Medicare number or to sell you something; the exceptions are a plan you already belong to, an agent you used, or a call back you asked for. Offers of a new Medicare card, free genetic tests, braces or other equipment in exchange for your number are among the most common health care scams, and the charges can turn up later on your Medicare statements. Check those statements for services you never received.
"If I'm robbed, the money will be replaced."
Sometimes it will not. Federal authority to replace SNAP benefits stolen by card skimming ended for thefts after December 20, 2024, and as of this review Congress has not restored it, though bills to do so have been introduced. Stolen SNAP benefits generally cannot be replaced with federal funds. Money sent by gift card, wire or cryptocurrency is also very hard to recover. Prevention matters more than it seems:
- Change your EBT PIN regularly, lock the card between uses where your state's app allows it, and check the card reader before you swipe.
- Create your own my Social Security account, so no one else can create one in your name, and turn on its alerts for changes to your address or bank details.
- Switch any remaining paper check to direct deposit; see our guide to the end of paper benefit checks.
What the scams look like, program by program
The same few tricks are adapted to each program's calendar and vocabulary:
- Social Security: a suspended number, a warrant, or an offer to "protect" your savings by moving them to a safe account.
- SSI and SSDI: someone offering, for a fee, to make an overpayment go away. Waivers and appeals are requested from Social Security directly and cost nothing.
- Medicare: callers during open enrollment who claim to be from Medicare and push you to switch plans, or offer free equipment for your number.
- Medicaid: calls or texts offering to renew your coverage for a fee. Renewal is free and comes from your state Medicaid agency.
- SNAP: texts asking you to "verify" your EBT card number and PIN, and skimmers hidden on store card readers.
- Housing: websites charging a fee to put you on a Section 8 waiting list. Real lists are run by local housing agencies, which do not charge to apply.
- Unemployment: a claim filed in your name by someone using your stolen identity, which you may learn about only when a letter or a Form 1099-G arrives.
What to do with a suspicious message
- Stop. Hang up, do not reply, and do not click links or open attachments.
- Look up the number yourself. Social Security's national number is 1-800-772-1213 and Medicare's is 1-800-633-4227. Use the agency's own website, not a search ad or the number in the message.
- Check your own account. A my Social Security account shows whether there is anything real to act on, and your state's SNAP or Medicaid portal shows your case.
- Talk to someone you trust before paying or sharing anything. A real deadline will still be there tomorrow.
Reporting it, and repairing the damage
- Social Security scams: the SSA Inspector General at oig.ssa.gov/report.
- Medicare scams or charges for services you did not get: 1-800-MEDICARE.
- Stolen SNAP benefits or a skimmed EBT card: your state SNAP agency. Ask for a new card and PIN at once.
- An unemployment claim in your name: the unemployment agency of the state where it was filed, and your employer.
- Other impostor scams: the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
If you already paid or shared information, act within hours if you can. Call your bank or card issuer to stop or dispute payments. If you gave out your Social Security number, visit IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan, and consider a fraud alert or credit freeze with the credit bureaus. If someone may have changed your direct deposit, call Social Security. If someone filed for unemployment in your name, you do not owe tax on benefits you never received; ask the state for a corrected Form 1099-G. Report even if you lost nothing and feel embarrassed: reports help investigators and warn others, including the relatives you might tell next. Our SNAP guide covers the program itself if you need to reapply for a new card.
What no checklist can promise
This article describes patterns that Social Security, Medicare and other agencies have published. Scammers change their methods, so a message that matches none of the warning signs is not proof that it is genuine. This site cannot verify a message you received and does not collect scam reports.
Official sources
Two numbers to save today
Save Social Security's number, 1-800-772-1213, and Medicare's, 1-800-633-4227, in your phone under the agencies' names, so that a call from anyone else stands out. Then share the warning signs above with relatives who receive or are about to claim benefits.
