REGIONAL NEWS (Manchester) — Scams are like kudzu around these parts. Once one affects your neighbor, it won’t be long until it’s knocking on your doorstep. Manchester Police warn that multiple residents have received calls from someone claiming to be from the Social Security Administration.

The scammers tell residents that their social security number has been used fraudulently and will be suspended until a new one can be made available. Sometimes, the scammer wants to confirm your SSN to reactivate it. At this point, the caller request identifying personal information that they will later use to attempt to steal your identity.

Officials remind you to never giver any personal information to any called over the phone. Major government organizations (the IRS, Social Security Administration, ect.) will never contact you by phone out of the blue. They may return your call if you’ve initiated contact with them for other business. Some clever scammer even use numbers whose caller ID shows up as the Social Security Administration number (1-800-772-1213) but it’s not the real SSA calling.

If you receive one of these calls, hang up immediately and report it to the Moore County Sheriff’s Department’s non-emergency number at 931-759-7323. You can also file a complaint with the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint. •

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