Inspector General Warns About New Social Security Benefit Suspension Scam
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: February 21, 2023
Today, I am warning the public about fraudulent letters threatening suspension of Social Security benefits due to COVID-19 or coronavirus-related office closures. Social Security will not suspend or discontinue benefits because their offices are closed.
The Social Security Office of the Inspector General has received reports that Social Security beneficiaries have received letters through the U.S. Mail stating their payments will be suspended or discontinued unless they call a phone number referenced in the letter. Scammers may then mislead beneficiaries into providing personal information or payment via retail gift cards, wire transfers, internet currency, or by mailing cash, to maintain regular benefit payments during this period of COVID-19 office closures.
As of Tuesday, March 17, 2020, local Social Security offices are closed to the public due to COVID-19 concerns. However, Social Security employees continue to work. Social Security will not suspend or decrease Social Security benefit payments or Supplemental Security Income payments due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Any communication you receive that says Social Security will do so is a scam, whether you receive it by letter, text, email, or phone call.
Social Security will never:
- Threaten you with benefit suspension, arrest, or other legal action unless you pay a fine or fee.
- Promise a benefit increase or other assistance in exchange for payment.
- Require payment by retail gift card, cash, wire transfer, internet currency, or prepaid debit card.
- Demand secrecy from you in handling a Social Security-related problem.
- Send official letters or reports containing personally identifiable information via email.
If you receive a letter, text, call or email that you believe to be suspicious, about an alleged problem with your Social Security number, account, or payments, hang up or do not respond. We encourage you to report Social Security scams using our dedicated online form. Please share this information with your friends and family, to help spread awareness about Social Security scams.
Did you find this Information helpful?
See Comments
About the Author
Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for Social Security
Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for Social Security
Comments
Comments are closed.
supperdodo
If someone waits for somebody to do, then no one gets anything from waiting for somebody to do something for someone file your taxes out be safe and get it, people still exempt paying taxes at the cap noted , just fill it out and send it IN, or wait its your choice. !
Kelly
Can someone tell me if we get ssi or disability do we get a stimulus check?
supperdodo
YES WE WILL,,, may need to file a tax form 1040 or ez-40 form with your ssa-1099 its mailed to us every yr. Or we. May not do anything and wait and see if it comes in the mail, deadline is june 15th for tax filled out to. (i r s ) “, that being said i’m filing my taxes out to be safe
V.V.
Hi Kelly. The Department of the Treasury will soon provide information about economic impact payments under the recently enacted law, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act. Treasury, not Social Security, will be making direct payments to eligible people. Please do not contact Social Security about these payments as the agency does not have information to share. Instead, for the latest information, please visit http://www.irs.gov/coronavirus. We hope this information helps.
Rodney C.
That information does not help…I went to irs.gov and it said I had to file a simple tax return to get the stimulus check on SSI. It redirected me to turbotax and I went through the whole process, for it to tell me I am not eligible for efile and had to download my 2 page tax return to mail it in. Now I have a tax return on my computer, no printer, and the library is closed indefinitely, so no way to print it or file it. So according to the stimulus bill that was passed into law I am supposed to get $1200, but have no way of actually getting it because government agencies are not working together or sharing information?
William.
We on S.S.I. need answers that actually answer our questions. Also, how do we even file a “simple tax form”. I don’t know how. As an S.S.I. recipient I don’t even receive an SSA-1099 form.
supperdodo
Just one other, i never use my real name on any app’s ,,, i used a nick name on messager and got a scam call from I. R. S. asking for me by my nick name ? So there i knew it was fake, if they cant give me my real name on a call then its a fake call,,, ?
supperdodo
Social security. Does Not Call for info , only when there’s an appointment by phone, KEY WORD APPOINTMENT MADE and you should know by that ? If in doubt hang and call back social security,
Kip L.
Great work! My mom gets scam calls like this frequently. Fortunately she calls me to ask advice before responding. One issue here is that people who grew up in pre-Internet times are more trusting of callers. They don’t understand how scammers can be this brazen. My wife’s law firm– http://www.sgglegal.com — deals with SSD clients so I will ask her to post a link to this blog.
Darcey A.
What day would I be receiving my stimulus check if I’m on SSI
V.V.
Hi Darcey. Please do not call us about economic impact payments. Instead, for the latest information, please visit http://www.irs.gov/coronavirus.
Fran
Vonda VanTil….
Can you answer my question? SS, SSDI, and SSI recipients who get monthly direct deposit who don’t file taxes, will the stimulus money be direct deposited as well? Or will we have to fill out some form? I get no answers to this questi9n. Than you!
V.V.
Hi Fran. The Department of the Treasury will soon provide information about economic impact payments under the recently enacted law, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act. Treasury, not Social Security, will be making direct payments to eligible people. Please do not contact Social Security about these payments as the agency does not have information to share. Instead, for the latest information, please visit http://www.irs.gov/coronavirus. Hope this helps.
Dave s.
Recipients of social security, disability and SSI will get stimulus checks.
“As of right now, social security benefit recipients and social security disability, as well as supplemental social security recipients, are entitled to the stimulus payment,” financial expert Scott Braddock said.
Kirk
Re: Tony, you moron. Im a senior and i’m not senile, its you youngin’s whom are naive to believe that, first off read this simple 2nd grade reading social security does not make call’s to people who get benefit, the only time there’s a call its because we made an appointment call back on a time schedule, ,, of course you wouldn’t have known that your not old yet, to be there,, the way i see it,, is you don’t know squat yet, ok.
Gary L.
The problem isn’t the scammers, it’s the people who fall for this stuff! Old people don’t get dumb when they get old, they were born dumb. Way too many Americans don’t seem to have any common sense – and tend to believe everything their told. “If an email says something it must be true.” Internet, mail, phone. They don’t understand to IGNORE this stuff.
“It would be rude to hang up on them.” Right.
It’s not the drug sellers that are causing a “drug problem” it’s the drug buyers! Scammers are just taking advantage of all the dumb people. Been that way for centuries.
CHARLES w.
From your note, you cannot use English properly. Dementia affects many older people. You seem to be born with it at a younger age.
Donna M.
Tony, you are the most ignorant and rude person!
How dare you say all seniors are senile and stupid!
I am 66, on Social Security AND hold a job! I also have a iphone XR that I use daily!