The Flagstaff Police Department has received several calls related to a Department of Social Security scam. This scam involves receiving a telephone call advising that the department has suspended your social security number due to suspicious activity. It then asks you to press a number if you would like to know more about the case; or asks that you confirm your number at which time they offer to reactivate your number for a fee.
Social Security numbers are the skeleton key to identity theft. The best response is to hang up. Do not be alarmed if you are bombarded with repeated calls, as this is an attempt to make you believe the phone call is legitimate. The Office of Inspector General at the Social Security Administration advises, “In general, no government agency or reputable company will call or email you unexpectedly and request your personal information . . .Build a habit of verifying the identity of anyone who asks for personal information over the phone,”
If you have questions or concerns that your identity has been compromised, you can call the Flagstaff Police Department non-emergency number and initiate an investigation report. You may also contact the three major credit bureaus to check your personal credit history and get alerts for any suspicious activity related to your personal identity.
