Does Social Security send text messages?

Updated October 25, 2026

Yes, Social Security does send text messages, but only to people who signed up for them, such as appointment reminders or my Social Security account alerts. Real Social Security texts never ask for your personal information, never ask you to call back an unknown number, and never offer a bigger benefit for a fee. A surprise text that does any of those things is a scam.

When Social Security really texts you

Social Security sends texts only to people who signed up. Its text messaging page lists four kinds, each from its own short code:

What it's for	Sent from
SSA Scheduling: appointment reminders and confirmations	64574
SSA Messaging	67984
SSA General Info	834174
my Social Security: account alerts, such as a new Message Center notice	95324

Social Security says signing up is voluntary, and replying STOP ends that category. If you use a my Social Security account, you may also get a security code by text when you sign in. That's normal, so a text from 95324 can be real.

A link in a real Social Security text opens a secure ssa.gov website, according to the agency.

What a real Social Security text never does

Social Security and its Office of the Inspector General say the agency:

never asks you to share personal information by text,
never texts you asking you to call back an unknown number,
never threatens arrest or legal action unless you pay right away,
never promises a benefit increase in exchange for payment,
never asks for payment by gift card, wire transfer, internet currency, or cash by mail.

Signs a Social Security text is fake

You never signed up for Social Security texts. A surprise text is the first warning.
It says there's a problem with your Social Security number, that it's "suspended," or that legal action is coming. The Inspector General warns about exactly these texts.
It wants you to call a number or reply with details like your Social Security number, date of birth, bank account, or a code.
It offers to "activate," "boost," or "unlock" your COLA or another increase for a fee.
The link doesn't go to ssa.gov, or it comes from a regular phone number or an email address instead of one of the short codes above.
It rushes you. "Within 24 hours" is pressure, not policy.

Social Security sums up its scam warnings in four signs: scammers pretend to be from an agency you know, say there's a problem or a prize, pressure you to act now, and tell you to pay in a specific way.

The 2027 COLA texts going around

Social Security announced a 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2027 on October 14, 2026. It starts in January 2027, and it's automatic: the law sets it, and you don't have to apply, pay, or confirm anything.

Scammers use the announcement. Social Security's scam page warns about people who "claim to need personal information or payment to activate" a COLA. A USA TODAY Network report from October 20, 2026 describes offers to "boost" or "unlock" benefits for a fee, arriving by phone, letter, social media, and text.

The real COLA notice shows up in your my Social Security Message Center from late November, or by mail in December if you don't use paperless notices. That's the only place to check your new amount.

How to check safely

Don't reply to the text or call a number in it. Type ssa.gov into your browser yourself and sign in to my Social Security, or call Social Security using the number listed on ssa.gov. If there's a real issue with your benefits, it shows up there.

If you already replied or tapped the link

You entered your Social Security number, bank details, or a sign-in code: follow what to do if you clicked a scam link, and if you shared a code, what to do if you gave someone a verification code. Go to IdentityTheft.gov if your Social Security number was exposed.
You paid: contact your bank or card company right away and ask them to stop or reverse the payment.

Report it

Report Social Security scam texts to the SSA Office of the Inspector General at oig.ssa.gov/report.
Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM) so your carrier can block the sender. How to report spam texts on iPhone.

Questions

Does Social Security send text messages to your phone?

Only if you opted in, for example to appointment reminders, my Social Security account alerts, or security codes when you sign in. Social Security says signing up is voluntary and you can reply STOP to any category.

Is a Social Security text from 95324 real?

95324 is one of the short codes Social Security lists for my Social Security texts. A text from it is expected if you have a my Social Security account and turned on text alerts or text security codes. Even so, sign in by typing ssa.gov yourself rather than replying with any personal details.

Does Social Security send text messages with links?

Sometimes. Social Security says a link in one of its official texts opens a secure ssa.gov website. If a link goes anywhere other than ssa.gov, or the text came from a regular phone number you don't know, don't open it.

Do I need to do anything to get the 2027 Social Security increase?

No. The 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment for 2027 is set by law and starts in January 2027. Social Security says scammers claim to need personal information or payment to activate a COLA. There's no fee and nothing to activate.

Sources

Facts checked October 25, 2026.