Social Security COLA Scam Call: What to Do If You Already Gave Out Information

The Call Is Fake — the SSA Doesn't Verify Your COLA Increase by Phone

Each year when the Social Security Administration announces its annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), scammers use the news coverage as cover for a wave of phone calls claiming your benefit increase is 'on hold' or requires 'verification' before it can be processed. The caller may spoof the SSA's real phone number so it appears legitimate on your caller ID.

The Social Security Administration does not call beneficiaries to verify personal information in order to release a COLA increase, and it never asks for payment, gift cards, or wire transfers to 'process' or 'unlock' a benefit adjustment. Any call making that request — regardless of what the caller ID shows — is a scam.

How the Scam Typically Plays Out

The caller claims your Social Security number, direct deposit details, or Medicare number needs to be 'confirmed' for your increased payment to go through. Some versions claim your benefits will be suspended unless you act immediately, creating urgency. Others ask you to 'verify your identity' by reading out your full Social Security number, bank account and routing numbers, or a one-time code that was just texted to your phone.

That last detail — a code 'just texted to you' — is often the scammer trying to authorize a real transaction (like a password reset or a bank transfer) using a code sent to your actual phone. Reading that code aloud to a caller hands them the final piece they need.

What to Do Right Now If You Already Gave Out Information

1. If you gave out your Social Security number, place a free fraud alert (or a credit freeze) with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion immediately, and monitor your credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com.

2. If you gave out bank account or routing numbers, call your bank directly — using the number on your card or statement, not any number the caller gave you — and ask them to monitor or restrict the account.

3. If you read out a one-time verification code, immediately change the password on whatever account that code belonged to (email, bank, or SSA's my Social Security account) and enable two-factor authentication going forward.

4. Call the SSA directly at 1-800-772-1213 to confirm your actual benefit status and report the call, and create or check your account at ssa.gov/myaccount to confirm nothing has been changed.

5. Report the call to the SSA Office of the Inspector General at oig.ssa.gov and to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

For a step-by-step plan tailored to exactly what you shared on the call — and the order to act in — use Scam Detective's recovery tool.

How to Spot the Next One

The SSA communicates about your benefits by mail or through your own ssa.gov account — not by an unsolicited phone call demanding immediate 'verification.' A caller ID that shows an SSA number proves nothing, since caller ID can be spoofed. If a call about your benefits creates urgency, asks for personal or banking details, or asks you to read back a code you just received, hang up and call the SSA back yourself using the number on ssa.gov.

If you're ever forwarded a link related to a Social Security or benefits 'update,' paste it into Scam Detective before clicking. You'll get a free instant risk score and verdict, then can unlock the full report with your email or for $0.50.