I too was hesitant to provide personal information to the individual who called from this number (which showed up on my caller id as 718-557-3000) and who claimed to be from Social Security. But I called my local SSA office and they confirmed it was a legitimate call. When you apply for benefits online, if SSA has questions for you, these are handled by an office in Jamaica, Queens. They were perfectly fine with people calling to check on the number, and had a note in my file indicating that they had contacted me.
I requested the start of the draw of retirement benefits, online. The webpage asked me to provide updated documentation of my income. Less than five minutes after dropping off that documentation at my local S.S.A. office I received a phone call from 718-557-3000. The caller identified herself as calling from S.S.A. and after I asked, said she was calling from S.S.A. office in Jamaica, NY. She was calling to advise me that because I delayed benefits beyond my nominal retirement age of 66, I had the option of either taking the amount for which I was eligible by delaying the draw (as I planned), or taking a lump sum of benefits for the past year and have a lesser monthly amount going forward. At first, I felt confident talking to them including confirming personal information. Upon reflection, I grew concerned regarding possible identity theft. Calling back was futile : you get the disturbing message that you have reached a non-working number. I became alarmed when I mis-dialed a call-back number that I requested in the original call. When I finally reached a human at a non-local SSA call center, despite a protracted conversation, she was unable to confirm it was an SSA phone number...huh??? At her recommendation I filed a report with the Federal Trade Commission office for identity theft: ftc.gov/idtheft . After an anxious weekend I got to my local SSA office where I learned that this was indeed a LEGITIMATE call from a real SSA call center (office code C-25), phone number 866.226.2306
From this, I learned that... the SSA DOES CALL BENEFICIARIES... that NOT EVERY SSA CUSTOMER REP IS KNOWLEDGEABLE... that phone communication with SSA is difficult (probably on purpose to support security) and confusing... and that I should not be lulled into a false sense of security in providing personal information over the phone just because I just stepped out of a SSA office.
I too got the 718-557-3000. She didn't ask for my soc. sec. # but wanted birthdate & have my husband verify our wedding date. Didn't ask for my bank information. Told me when I would get a check. Tried to call back, busy. Call the 1-800 Soc. Sec. On hold for nearly 30 min. The lady that answered told me she wouldn't be able to tell me if that number was legit, but she'd look up my local ss office #. Put me on hold & then it went to a survey, after the survey phone went dead. Of course I called again & it was after 7:00. Closed Monday, called today & no representatives are available???? Not put on hold, etc. just not available. So I called the 866-226-2306, stated in some of the above posts, they do answer Soc. Security. She confirmed that someone did call me. (Right date & time). She said she called 2x this same date. NO, it was just one time. She said it looks like they need to talk to my husband to confirm wedding date, etc.& that he wasn't available. I said not true she did talk to him. She put me on hold & came back & said it looks like she did talk to him???? I asked will I receive a letter about this? Yes in 7 to 10 days. Ask her why NY Soc. Sec. is calling me. She said they are handling some of my states applications. I told her my on line app. still says no decision made. She said it was because I got called on Fri. then & the weekend & then the Holiday. Called my local soc. sec. & male rep. said when they call me it could be a different. He said it was a ligit call. HOPE it's TRUE!
I applied online on Thursday April 9 and received a call from this phone on 9/13-15 from a caller name leung phone 718-557-3000. He started to ask me personal info and it just clicked to me that why the hell is he calling on saturday. I told him that I am calling FBI and report to them. He said fine I am calling from our office in jamaica, Queens. I hung up the phone but this is scary.
They called twice , once left a message and once I picked up. They said they were from the SSA and needed more info on my recent application for retirement funds. I told him I could not be sure that he was actually from the SSA ( he had some sort of accent) and he told me to contact my local Social Security Office. I have not done that yet , googled the number first and found out that others are getting the same calls and they are a scam.