ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Former Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary is the latest Central Florida resident to receive a threatening robocall from someone claiming to be an investigator with the Social Security Administration.
The veteran law enforcement officer told News 6 when he called back, he knew the man on the other end was a fraud.
“He didn’t even ask my name," Beary recalled. “He said what’s the last four digits of your Social Security number.”
The original recording was the voice of a woman who claimed to be Officer Karen Davis with the Social Security Administration. The reason for her call was to advise Beary that “an action had been filed on his Social Security number.”
The Federal Trade Commission said reports of Social Security impostors “are surging” with consumers losing a staggering $19 million in the past year.
Beary said he received the robocall Tuesday at about noon from an 833 telephone exchange.
The phone number 833-619-0314 was flagged by robocall defense company NOMOROBO roughly 14 hours after Beary received the call.
The Social Security Administration told News 6 it is aware of the surge in the bogus robocalls.
It has launched a new public service announcement to continue warning consumers of the “fraudulent phone calls,” which cost consumers more than $19 million in the past year.
Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul is featured in the new video warning Americans, “If a suspicious caller states there is a problem with their Social Security number or account, they should hang up.”
SSA Regional Communications director Patti Patterson sent this advisory to News 6.
Social Security will not:
- Tell you that your Social Security number has been suspended.
- Contact you to demand an immediate payment.
- Ask you for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
- Require a specific means of debt repayment, like a prepaid debit card, a retail gift card, or cash.
- Demand that you pay a Social Security debt without the ability to appeal the amount you owe.
- Promise a Social Security benefit approval, or increase, in exchange for information or money.
When News 6 checked the number this week, a recording indicated “we can’t take your call at this time.”
If you have received a similar robocall, you are asked to file a report with the Social Security Administration here.