A warning tonight about social security phone scams that are on the rise.

Experts are warning the public about a phone scam. Consumers say the Social Security Administration is calling them regarding an issue with their social security number.

Laurian Clause, with the Better Business Bureau of Acadiana, said, “It’s an active scam. The calls that they’re getting, and it’s particularly active right now and so what that tells us is that it’s working that they are scamming our consumers so it’s very important that we educate and understand the nature of these calls.”

Here’s how the scam works:

You receive a robocall allegedly from the Social Security Administration. Some calls say, “Hello, we have been trying to reach you. This call is officially a final notice from the Social Security Administration. This call is to inform you that we have got an order to suspend your social security number on an immediate basis because we have found suspicious and fraudulent activities. To get more information about this case, file please call immediately.”

“One call in particular last week, the scam involved a consumer purchasing a $500 gift card to get their name and social what they thought was protected,” added Clause.

Experts say these scammers use a sense of urgency to get you to answer the phone.

Clause explained, “It’s just really knowing who you’re speaking to and being in control of that conversation by you calling yourself and not letting a call that’s coming in be the form of information.”

The robocall leaves a number for you to call. Experts say do not call the number back.

This is the just the latest version of a government imposter scam which tries to scare people into giving away personal information.

Here are tips to help you avoid these government imposter phone scams:

  • Make sure you don’t give out your personal information over the phone or email until you have verified the person asking for it.
  • Don’t trust your caller ID. Many scammers “spoof” phone numbers to make you trust them.
  • Government agencies do not call unsolicited, rather they send letters if they want to contact you.

If you have a scam you’d like me to investigate, feel free to send me an email at smasters@klfy.com.