Don’t Stand by … Speak Up!
Reading Time: 1 MinuteLast Updated: August 19, 2021
August is National Bystander Awareness Month. As a bystander, you can play an essential role in preventing violence, wrongdoings, and fraud. Have you ever witnessed something that you knew was wrong and wondered if you should report it? Did you want to say something, but didn’t because you were afraid of negative consequences? Don’t be afraid, because there are federal laws to protect you.
Reporting information or activity that you suspect is illegal, dishonest, or false is your right. Reportable violations could be abuse of authority, gross waste of funds, a specific danger to public health or safety, or gross mismanagement.
Social Security’s programs were originally created to serve the American public, and 80 years later they still provide critical support to people of all ages. As good stewards of the tax dollars you entrust to us, we design our systems to protect the program against fraud, waste, and abuse.
But, our systems can’t catch everything. And that’s where you can help.
We need you to help us detect and deter fraud, waste, and abuse. Reporting wrongful acts can save lives and taxpayers dollars. Don’t let illegal or dishonest behavior happen on your watch. Learn what we are doing to fight fraud and how you can report fraud.
For more information about whistleblower protections, go to our OIG’s website.
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Tags: fraud, Office of the Inspector General, OIG, social security, SSA
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Doug Walker, Deputy Commissioner, Communications
Deputy Commissioner, Office of Communications
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Jo R.
I know for a fact that my mother has been collecting my father’s as checks since his death in 1990 problem is she never married him there is no common law in Missouri and she has illegally change d her name to his. Her name is really Martha Jane Yount she is illegally using last name Ray. She has it on her drivers license an LLC listed with Sec if state if Missouri credit cards checking accounts and loans. My father’s name was John Dow Ray. He died Oct 1990. She should have to pay back every hit of money she has stolen. Her current address is 216 SW westwind Dr Lee’s summit MO 64086.. she is also collecting care giver money for herself with Robert Eugene Ray as the receptant well a JUNKIE doesn’t take care if if anyone but themselves.
R.F.
We take allegations of fraud very seriously, when allegations of fraud are reported to our Office of the Inspector General. We thank you for helping us fight fraud.
If you suspect fraud, waste or abuse of Social Security benefits, we encourage you to report it.
Judy
Do you receive any more benefits for retired military veteran? If so what do you need to show?
Sandra S.
Im Sandra Smith. I feel the Social Security is doing me wrong. SSA is taking medicare preminums payments for the year 2016. from me. Problem is I have been incarserated in Ohio DRC State Prison for 5 years. Social Security was notified by Job and Families Service in Cincinnati. The represenative that took this request suspended the benifits, but neglected to suspend the Medicare. As a result I have not recieved a full check since my release Oct 2017. Next month they are taking $620.00 from me. I have no way to pay my rent or anything else. I’ve filed 2 Appeals on this matter. One online. One in person. I was told today by a represenative. There is no Appeal on file period. I have the copy of the Appeal form I filed in person. Please if theres someone out there please help me. My name is Sandra Smith.
greg f.
Rec’d a letter from SSA 2/25. On 3/6 a very nice agent “Connie” told me I’d have to come to my local office as someone opened a fraud account online in my name. Today I tried to call and make appt (letter said to). The wait times were > 1 hr. or I could go online to make appt as my office has no local #. I went online and “Kathryn” called back. She was argumentative and told me I was inappropriate in doing this. She even started yelling at me that she was sending me back to the 800 #. I told her they wanted me to contact her service and she became flustered and irate. She then hung up on me. I guess I just have to walk in to the office even though they recommend against this and want an appt made. There is no other opportunity available. Kathryn should be fired as she was the worst CS employee I’ve come across. BTW I’m an RN, I know the difference.
R.F.
Hi Greg. We apologize and regret to hear you did not receive the level of customer service you expected. If you would like to submit a comment, complaint or suggestion, you can write to us or send us an email message.
We appreciate your feedback, and thank you for bringing this to our attention.
LeAnthony S.
I call the ss office and asked if I could get my ss# locked (so that no one else could use it..) I was told that.. The ss office don’t deal with and can not help me with this problem …. I don’t know why the agent lied… But I need help…. Can some one help me please….
R.F.
If you know your Social Security information has been compromised, and if you don’t want to do business with Social Security online, you can use our Block Electronic Access. Thanks!
Judith E.
Wanted a 1099 form for my taxes, have not received one for 2017. Gave requested information, but they asked me for the name of the deceased person. No deceased person involved. No rejection of “NO” accepted by IRS.
John H.
I desire to work and dislike being on SSDI. I read temporary SSDI beneficiaries are three times likely to die. You could tell. I was on SSDI 10 months, then applied to ticket to work. The program did nothing to assist me. A crew even preformed covert abuse towards me. And tried to set me up in a scam. I caught on quickly, and called the authorities. I want to pay my own way and not be on SSA portioned funds. There is no dignity in not earning your living morally and ethically. After the Ticket to Work attempt went nowhere. I got depressed from all the beta brain wave radiation. And attempted fabrication of ILCS violations. I am feeling better before November 30th, 2017 a huge centipede species foreign to Illinois crawled under my door. Some species of insects carry viral vectors. It was actually running faster than a human. I cleaned the whole apartment and informed everyone about the potential virus carrying insect I sensed was breed. I was in such shock and felt beta radiation as well. Went to the ER after hours of catching my self falling from a shock reaction nerve impulse triggered by someone near. Took a nap, and woke up to the loosing muscle control and nearly falling. Beta waves are bad for your health at that level. Suffered compressed fractured vertabrae from the muscle control loss. At the ER I was in severe pain. Was in the ER for hours without relief, then started throwing up from the trauma. I woke up in the ICU with severe pain in my Vertabrae, black eyes, and a bruised brain. I was released from the hospital with Tramadol and follow ups. The muscle control lose disappeared mysteriously. Why me? And why try to cover it up by having my PCP prescribe a pain medication which is the worst possible treatment for C and Delta fiber pain. The correct molecule (being a medication for brain and spinal cord injury pain) will bind to a receptor in the brain stopping the pain. Or relieving it to a more tolerable level then followed by a chiropractor decompressing the fractures. The medicine prescribed was Diclofenac. Which did not treat my freak injuries. The medicine caused stomach bleeding after 3 doses. It caused more back pain. And looks like a deadly medication used as a means to an end as quick as possible to: instead of using the Ticket to Work money (if any was apportioned even-it it was it was not used for vocational rehabilitation in my favor) to assist with employment and self-sufficiency… SSDI barcode #99938747 (what I treated like) had a team of low paid workers and third party contractors hired to decrease my lifespan using cruel and covert methods. I want to work. I do work as much as possible, and my customers smile and are grateful for my PT service. I am capable of working full-time. I was resistant and not wanting to go on temporary disability knowing that people on disability get injured more, sick more, and die quicker than most. Three times more likely to die. Look at the statistics. Made to look unfounded as well. Like breeding a new species in the taxonomy table of a birthday type of biothreats. I am not another barcode, or 1000th person the audit team is trained to pass thru them quickly like sick of their jobs and under pressure from their manager. Undeserving to be on that list of SSDI recipients to exterminate rapidly. I’m 33 not 98 and unable to support myself. Those are sad cases which I read in the hunter and gather times as well the elderly could not be supported by the clan without negativily impacting the clans health and future. I am alone and by myself in my job search. I will continue to try my best to get off SSDI as quickly as possible. It feels by myself. I just have a guardian angel on my side warning me of the incoming dangers. I could sense them and was sad to see people treat me so bad. Could take a polygraph too. Hopefully I could be a success story and we could work together getting off temporary disability and supporting myself. Without further abuse occuring (meant to look unfounded at that). I wish people in my country would work together and flourish. Not bad people putting me in the wrong demographic, and discouraging me from living a happy full life. And having a full-time job like everyone else.
Hollienne H.
As I was reading this article, I became a little confused. Not by the content of the article itself,but by the author referring to Social Security as “tax dollars”. Social Security isn’t and never has been “tax dollars”. The Social Security system was put in place along with Medicare by FAR as part of the “New Deal” implemented after WW2 and the end of the Great Depression so that when people grew too old or became infirm and couldn’t work,they would have money put away for that inevitability. Look on your paycheck. There will be deductions for both state and federal income tax. Then you will see another deduction that is labeled FICA. That is what your employer is made to take out of your paycheck by the federal government for Social Security. Social Security was meant to be a mandatory savings account for each working American’s retirement and could not be accessed before age 65 or under a special circumstance,such as the person became too infirm or sick to work. Ladies and gentlemen, this money does NOT belong to the government!!! It belongs to you! If you become too sick to work,whether by a naturally occurring disease or because of an injury and you have reputable medical evidence to show why you can’t work,you should be given your money. You shouldn’t have to fight the federal government for what you already earned and what is supposed to be being held for you until you need it. Recipients of Social Security are made to feel like a drain on society and that we are living off tax dollars. We are NOT doing anything of the kind and,believe me, the hoops you are made to jump through to get what is barely enough to live on,we should not be made to feel like charity cases or dead beats who just don’t want to work. Social Security needs reform, what’s more is that the American people need to be educated about Social Security, what it is,who it belongs to, and why we shouldn’t have to have to have legal representation to get it when we need it. That’s right! Don’t stand by! Speak up!Holli Heatley
Discourghed
June 8, 2017 KENTUCKY DISABILITY ATTORNEY WHO STOLE HALF A BILLION FROM THE GOVT DISAPPEARS FBI SAYS. STOLEN FROM SSA. ERIC CONN PLEADED GUILTY TO STEALING FROM GOVT AND BRIBING A JUDGE AND DOCTOR VIOLATED CONDITIONS OF BOND WHEN HE CUT OFF HIS ANKLE BRACELET. AND FLED THE COUNTRY. A WARRANT HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR HIS ARREST. HIS WHEREABOUTS ARE UNKNOWN. 2 SSA EMPLOYEES TRIED EXPOSING THE ATTORNEYS SCHEME FOR QUITE SOME TIME BUT WAS NEVER FOLLOWED UP ON IT. KNOWN AS MR. SOCIAL SECURITY AGREED TO PAY BACK 5.7 MILLION TO FEDERAL GOVT,46 MILLION TO SSA,12 MILLION IN DAMAGES AND 19 MILLION IN PENALITIES. HE IS ALSO FACING A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FROM 1,500 FORMER CLIENTS CLAIMS THATS RESULTED IN DENIALS.
I PERSONALLY HAVE REPORTED SOMEONE FOR FRAUD FOR THE LAST 5YRS. WHO NOT ONLY STILL CONTINUES TO RECEIVE BENEFITS BUT HAS RECEIVED AN INCREASE IN BENEFITS. THIS PERSON HAS BEEN COLLECTING BENEFITS FOR 26 YRS AND HAS NEVER WORKED A SINGLE DAY,BUT CONTINUES TO SELL DRUGS. HER CASE HAS ONLY BEEN REVIEWED TWICE IN 26 YRS.HER MOTHER HAS RAISED HER 2 CHILDREN AND LIES FOR HER. SHES BEEN ON HOUSING FOR 20 YRS THAT HER MOTHER AND GROWN KIDS LIVE IN WHILE SHE STAYS WITH DIFFERENT MEN.
b h.
Thank you for all the guidance you have given me, Ray! After weeks of research and hunting for answers from my friend, I believe she is committing fraud. I have one final question which will determine my calling SSI. Can she live in a $300,000 house free of charge (without paying rent, mortgage, or taxes) (if she’s owned the house or not), and still receive full SSI benefits? She’s complaining that she’s being forced to pay her brother $300 a month as rent (since he owns the house). She said she made her mom pay all the mortgage payments and taxes on the house when she owned it. If she did that to her mom, shouldn’t she have reported that to SSI? I think they were under the impression that she was paying to live in the house.
R.F.
If you think your friend is misusing benefits, you must report it immediately. Please call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to speak to one of our representatives. Or you can contact your local Social Security office. If you suspect fraud, waste or abuse of Social Security benefits we encourage you to report it. Thanks.