Received text claiming to be from Social Security - scam alert or legitimate SSA message?

This is almost certainly a scam. The Social Security Administration generally does NOT communicate through text messages about your benefits or personal information. They primarily use postal mail for official communications, and in some cases, they might email you if you've set up an online account and chosen that communication preference. Here's what you should know: - SSA will NEVER text you links to click - They won't ask for personal info via text - They don't threaten to suspend your SSN via text - Any unexpected communication claiming to be SSA should be treated with suspicion You can always verify by calling the official SSA number (1-800-772-1213) or checking your mySocialSecurity account online directly (not through any links in texts or emails).

I had something similar happen last month! Turned out to be a total scam trying to get me to "verify" my SSN and bank info. I almost fell for it because I was waiting to hear about my SSDI application status. So frustrating that these scammers know exactly when to target us! The text had a link to a site that LOOKED like the official SSA website but the URL was slightly off. If you're ever not sure, call SSA directly at their official number. Yes, the wait times are terrible, but you know it's actually them.

My dad got one of these texts and actually clicked the link (ugh). They asked him to input his SS#, birthdate, and bank details to "verify his identity." Luckily he called me before doing it. We had to freeze his credit just to be safe. These scammers are getting really sophisticated. REPORT IT to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov

DEFINITELY SCAM!!! Social Security NEVER texts you links!! My sister works for SSA and says they're seeing these scams EVERYWHERE right now. They're targeting people who are retiring soon because so many of us are applying for benefits. They know we're expecting messages about our claims. Delete it immediately!!

I work in cybersecurity and can confirm this is a phishing attempt. These scams follow predictable patterns: 1. Create urgency ("important message waiting") 2. Impersonate a trusted authority (SSA in this case) 3. Provide a convenient but malicious link 4. Harvest credentials or install malware The SSA primarily communicates through your my Social Security account, official letters via USPS, or scheduled phone calls that YOU initiate. As an extra verification step, you can call your local SSA office directly to confirm if they've been trying to reach you. Their contact info is on the official SSA website.

I've been trying to reach SSA about my retirement benefits for weeks and it's impossible to get through on their phone lines. I finally discovered a service called Claimyr that got me connected to an actual SSA agent in under 30 minutes! It basically holds your place in line and calls you back when an agent is available. Saved me hours of frustration. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU or their website claimyr.com Once I talked to the real SSA, they confirmed they NEVER send texts with links. If you get one, report it to the Office of Inspector General at oig.ssa.gov.

i get these all the time lol. one time they said my ssn was suspended for suspicious activity and i needed to call right away to fix it. another time they said i qualified for a cost of living increase if i verified my info. all BS. just delete and move on with your day.

Important to note: The legitimate ways SSA will contact you are: 1. Letters through USPS mail 2. Secure messages in your mySocialSecurity account 3. Scheduled phone calls that YOU arranged 4. In-person appointments at SSA offices If you're expecting communication from SSA about benefits (retirement, survivors, disability, SSI), always log into your mySocialSecurity account directly or call the official number. Never call numbers provided in unexpected texts or emails. The rise in these scams coincides with more Baby Boomers reaching full retirement age (FRA) and applying for benefits. Scammers know this demographic is actively engaged with SSA right now.

Adding to what everyone else has said - I work at a local SSA field office and can confirm we are seeing a HUGE spike in these text scams. They're specifically targeting people in their 60s who are applying for retirement benefits or recently filed applications. A few red flags to watch for: - Texts asking you to "verify" or "update" your information - Messages claiming your benefits are "on hold" or "suspended" - Any text with a link claiming to be from SSA - Requests for immediate action or threatening language If you're genuinely concerned about your application status, the safest approach is to visit your local SSA office in person or call the main number (even with the long wait times). We can quickly check your file and let you know if there are any legitimate issues that need attention. Please spread the word to friends and family - these scammers are relentless and they're getting more sophisticated with their fake websites and official-looking messages.

Thank you everyone for the detailed responses! As someone new to navigating Social Security, this is incredibly helpful. I had no idea these scams were so widespread, especially targeting people in retirement age. I deleted the text immediately after reading all your advice and logged into my mySocialSecurity account directly (no messages waiting there). It's scary how convincing these scams can be - they really do know exactly when we're most vulnerable and expecting legitimate communications. I'm definitely going to share this thread with my elderly neighbors who might not be as aware of these tactics. The tip about reporting to the FTC and SSA Office of Inspector General is great too - I'll make sure to do that to help protect others. Really appreciate this community looking out for each other! 🙏

This is such an important topic - I'm glad you trusted your instincts and didn't click that link! As a senior who's been dealing with SSA for years, I want to emphasize that these scammers are getting incredibly sneaky. They time these messages perfectly when they know people are expecting to hear about benefit applications or changes. One thing I learned the hard way: if you're ever unsure about ANY communication claiming to be from a government agency, take a screenshot first (without clicking anything), then verify independently. I keep the official SSA phone number saved in my contacts so I don't accidentally call a scammer's number from a fake text. Also, for anyone reading this - consider setting up text alerts from your bank and credit cards. That way if scammers DO get your info somehow, you'll know immediately if there's suspicious activity. Prevention is key, but early detection is your backup plan. Thanks for sharing this experience - it's going to help a lot of people avoid falling for the same scam!

As someone who recently went through the retirement application process, I can't stress enough how important it is to be skeptical of ANY unexpected messages claiming to be from SSA. When I was waiting for my application to be processed, I got three separate scam texts over two months - they clearly target people during vulnerable times when we're actually expecting communication. What really helped me was creating a simple rule: if I get ANY message claiming to be from a government agency (SSA, IRS, Medicare, etc.), I NEVER click links or call numbers from the message itself. Instead, I go directly to the official website or call the number I know is legitimate. Also, if you haven't already, I highly recommend setting up your mySocialSecurity account if you don't have one yet. Having that direct line to check your actual status makes it much easier to ignore these fake "urgent" messages. When you can see for yourself that there are no real messages waiting, it removes any doubt about whether these texts might be legitimate. Stay safe out there - these scammers are unfortunately very good at what they do, but knowledge is our best defense!

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who works in elder care - we see clients fall for these SSA text scams way too often. What makes them particularly dangerous is that they often come right after someone has applied for benefits or had a change in their situation, so the timing feels legitimate. One red flag I always tell my clients to watch for: legitimate SSA communications will NEVER create a sense of panic or urgency. Real SSA letters are usually pretty dry and bureaucratic - they don't use phrases like "URGENT ACTION REQUIRED" or "Your benefits will be suspended TODAY unless..." If you're helping elderly family members or neighbors, consider having a conversation with them about these scams BEFORE they encounter one. It's much easier to recognize a scam when you've been warned about the tactics ahead of time. And remind them that it's always okay to hang up or ignore a message and call you or a trusted person to double-check. Great job trusting your instincts on this one - you probably saved yourself a major headache!

I'm so glad you trusted your instincts and didn't click that link! As someone who recently started navigating Social Security benefits myself, I've learned that scammers are incredibly sophisticated at targeting people exactly when we're most vulnerable - like when we're waiting to hear about applications or benefit changes. What really struck me reading through these responses is how widespread this problem has become. It's scary that scammers are doing so much research to time these messages perfectly with when people are expecting legitimate communication from SSA. A few things I'm taking away from this discussion: - SSA will NEVER send texts with links - period - When in doubt, go directly to mySocialSecurity.gov or call the official number - These scams specifically target people in retirement age who are actively dealing with SSA - Taking screenshots of suspicious messages (without clicking) is smart for reporting purposes I'm definitely going to be sharing this thread with friends and family who might be targeted. The more people who know about these tactics, the better we can protect our community from falling victim. Thanks for asking this question - your post is going to help so many people recognize and avoid these scams!

As someone who just joined this community, I want to thank everyone for this incredibly informative discussion! I'm new to dealing with Social Security benefits and honestly had no idea these text scams were so prevalent and sophisticated. Reading through all these responses has been like getting a masterclass in SSA scam awareness. The key points I'm taking away are: - SSA NEVER sends texts with links (this seems to be the golden rule) - Scammers deliberately time these messages when people are expecting legitimate SSA communication - Always verify independently through official channels rather than responding to unexpected messages - The urgency and panic language in scam messages is a dead giveaway What really opened my eyes is learning how these scammers specifically research and target people who are likely dealing with SSA - like those approaching retirement or waiting on benefit applications. It's not just random spam, but calculated attacks designed to catch us at our most vulnerable moments. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread as a reference and plan to share it with family members who might be targeted. The collective wisdom here has given me so much confidence in how to handle these situations going forward. Thanks to the original poster for asking this question - your instincts were spot on, and this discussion is going to help protect so many people in our community!

As someone who's been dealing with Social Security for years, I want to echo what everyone else has said - this is 100% a scam. The SSA has very specific communication protocols and texting with links is absolutely NOT one of them. What I find particularly concerning is how these scammers have gotten so good at timing these messages. They seem to know exactly when people are in limbo waiting for benefit decisions or application updates. It's like they've studied the SSA process to maximize their chances of success. One thing I'd add that I don't think was mentioned yet - if you do accidentally click on one of these links (it happens!), don't panic. Just don't enter any information, close the browser immediately, and consider running a security scan on your device. And definitely change your passwords for any financial accounts as a precaution. The fact that you trusted your gut instincts shows you've got good scam radar. Keep that skepticism - it's going to serve you well as you navigate the retirement benefits process. There are unfortunately a lot of predators out there targeting people our age who are dealing with these important financial transitions.

As someone who's been targeted by these SSA text scams multiple times, I can't emphasize enough how right everyone is - this is definitely a scam! What makes these particularly insidious is that they've gotten incredibly sophisticated about making the messages look official and timing them perfectly. I've noticed they often use language like "important message waiting" or "action required on your account" - phrases designed to create just enough urgency to make you second-guess your better judgment. The fact that you paused and asked here instead of clicking shows excellent instincts. One additional tip I'd share: I've started taking screenshots of these scam texts before deleting them, then reporting them to both the FTC (as mentioned earlier) and also forwarding them to 7726 (SPAM). It helps carriers and authorities track these scam campaigns and potentially shut them down. The silver lining in all this is that once you know what to look for, these scams become pretty easy to spot. Real SSA communications are formal, slow, and come through official channels - never urgent texts demanding immediate action. Stay skeptical, trust your gut, and always verify independently!

As someone who works in IT security, I want to add a technical perspective to this excellent discussion. These SSA text scams are part of a broader category called "smishing" (SMS phishing), and they're becoming increasingly sophisticated. A few technical red flags to watch for: - The sender number is often spoofed or comes from random shortcodes - Links in these texts frequently redirect through multiple domains before landing on fake sites - The fake websites often have URLs that look similar to official ones but with subtle differences (like "ssa-gov.com" instead of "ssa.gov") What's particularly concerning is that these scammers are using social engineering tactics - they research public records to know when people are likely filing for benefits, then time their attacks accordingly. It's not random spam, it's targeted psychological manipulation. If you want to be extra cautious, you can enable two-factor authentication on your mySocialSecurity account and set up account monitoring alerts. This adds layers of protection even if scammers somehow get your login credentials. Great job trusting your instincts - that's your best defense against these increasingly sophisticated attacks!