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Government Outlines New Procedures and Reinforces What the Safe Channels Are for Conducting the INSS Life Verification, Alerting Retirees and Pensioners About Fraud Attempts and Fake Contacts by Phone or Message.
The INSS reinforced how contacts and procedures for the life verification should occur and clarified what the official channels are so that retirees and pensioners can avoid scams.
The institute does not conduct life verification by phone or video call and never requests passwords, banking information, or the sending of documents via email or messaging apps.
If there are any doubts, citizens should check their status on Meu INSS, through the gov.br app, at the bank paying the benefit, or call the Central 135.
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Messages outside these flows or that ask for sensitive information should be treated as attempts of fraud.
How the INSS Makes Legitimate Notifications
The agency informs that, when the life verification is not carried out automatically through the cross-referencing of public databases, the insured is notified.
This communication appears on the benefit statement issued by the responsible bank and may also appear as a notice in Meu INSS.
The guidance is to periodically check these channels and meet the indicated deadline to avoid blocking.
In October 2025, for example, the INSS communicated that 4 million beneficiaries would need to complete the procedure after failing to have the verification automatically completed.
Digital and In-Person Life Verification
The life verification can be completed digitally through the gov.br app, with facial biometrics when available, or in-person at the paying banks and INSS agencies when there is an express notification.
The digital process requires a gov.br account with an adequate security level and follows a step-by-step biometric verification process.
If automatic validation is not possible, the beneficiary receives guidance on the in-person alternative.
What the INSS Does Not Do by Phone
The institute clarifies that it does not conduct life verification through calls and does not request beneficiaries to provide passwords, authentication codes, or banking details during phone contacts.
Calls that ask for this type of information are scams.
The INSS also warns that scammers have used video calls to try to “validate” the life verification — a practice that does not exist in official procedures.
Legitimate Communication by SMS or Phone
Although life verification is not done by phone, the INSS points out that there may be legitimate communications by phone and SMS aimed at notifications or general guidance.
For this, the agency discloses identified channels, such as the phone (11) 2135-0135 for calls and the code 92716 for text messages.
Even in these cases, there are no requests for documents, passwords, or photos, and the recommendation is that citizens hang up and return the call via 135 if they have any doubts.
How to Identify Scam Attempts
Criminals have posed as “INSS agents” to visit homes, display fake badges, and collect data and images.
This approach is not part of the life verification process.
Home visits by officials, when occurring for other administrative reasons, do not include requests for copies of documents or photographs; recognition is limited to checking the official photo ID.
If fraud is suspected, the guidance is not to provide information and to contact official channels.
Where to Confirm Your Situation Safely
The safest way to check for pending issues is to access Meu INSS on the website or app, consult the payment statement at the bank, and, in case of doubts, call Central 135.
It is also possible to monitor notifications in the gov.br app, which indicates when facial biometrics are available for the user.
The user should ensure that the app has been downloaded from official stores and that they are logged in with their own gov.br account.
Who Needs to Complete the Life Verification
Since the adoption of the model with automatic verification, some beneficiaries do not need to take any action annually.
Still, when data cross-referencing is not sufficient, the INSS notifies the holder to comply with the step within the deadline.
In 2025, this screening generated new notifications, reinforcing that only those who were notified need to complete the life verification within the indicated period.
Official Service Channels
The Central 135 is the channel for the citizen to call and seek official information, not to receive requests for sensitive data.
Meu INSS consolidates services and protocols, including benefits consultation, document attachment, and tracking requirements.
Whenever there is a legitimate notification, these environments will reflect the pending issue and inform how to resolve it.
Rumors and False Information
Official bodies have denied viral messages that distort the rules of life verification, such as claims that certain events would automatically serve as verification.
The government and fact-checking agencies remind that when an external database is to be used, the INSS will communicate clearly and with a defined timeframe.
Until then, the previously informed methods prevail, with formal communication to the beneficiary when automatic validation does not occur.
As scams evolve and attempt to exploit the routines of retirees and pensioners, the way to protect oneself remains the same: prioritize Meu INSS, gov.br, bank statement, and Central 135, be suspicious of requests for data by phone, and check if there was an official notification before taking any action.
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