Social Security Takes Fraud Seriously
Reading Time: 1 MinuteLast Updated: August 19, 2021
One out of five Americans receives benefits from Social Security, including elderly retirees, people with severe illnesses, and widows and children of deceased wage earners.
With so many of our country’s most vulnerable citizens depending on us, we take our responsibility of providing them with a measure of financial security seriously.
One way we do that is by making a priority our many efforts to pursue those who would cheat the system and take money away from those who need it most.
The agency’s benefit programs are far-reaching and complex, which means that preventing, detecting, and combatting fraud, waste, and abuse is an ongoing challenge. Although we can’t prevent every instance of fraud any more than law enforcement can prevent all crimes, we aggressively investigate potential instances of fraud and pursue prosecution of those who commit it.
Our Office of Anti-Fraud Programs (OAFP) uses many tools to help predict where fraud may occur so we can identify it as quickly as possible. OAFP works alongside the Office of the Inspector General, and Disability Determination Services in the Cooperative Disability Investigation (CDI) program. CDI units investigate and resolve questions of fraud in our programs. There are stiff penalties: We seek the maximum punishment allowable under the law to restore money stolen from the American people. As a result, fraud affects only a very small percentage of our overall payments.
You can help protect your investment in Social Security. Take time to learn all the facts on how we work to prevent fraud. Remember, if you suspect fraud, report it or call the fraud hotline at 1-800-269-0271.
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Tags: fraud, social security, SSA
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Phil Gambino, Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Communications
Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Communications
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Bruce J.
When the SSA/OIG make an inaccurate assumption that causes harm to a previous beneficiary of SSA entitlement are they held accountable for that error? Or must a person in this situation really take it to the US court system (out of Admin Law) and make a public mockery (black eye) out of the federal agents/Judge who made the erroneous assumption which caused harm to the previous beneficiary? For example: if a forged marriage certificate is used as proof that the alleged recipient of benefits has committed fraud when in fact they did not and the record is fraud due to forgery which had nothing to do with the beneficiary? Would this not be considered HARM based on the fact the beneficiary did nothing wrong but was assumed at fault and treated as if fault was evident? I would think this sort of issue would end badly for the Federal agencies in the end. IS there a process for resolving issue so they stay in Admin Law rather than end up in US courts?
virgil r.
my ssi disability checks have been stolen by my exes one my co-defendant a Moniqua Smiley and my other ex a Danielle White who works for ssi in oakland steal money from me when i go to jail i owe 14,000 and never receive a dime because of a Danielle and Moniqua Smiley every time i go to jail or they set me up and i go to jail they steal my ssi checks its illegal and i want to report it.
Tired o.
I have reported someone using stolen identity several times he is an illegal alien..born in 1972 when the social was issued prior to 1951…SS has does nothing about this fraudelent behaviour…So i don’t think they take fraud quite as seriously as they say… I have all the documentation and they just choose to ignore the isssue…
Jo
I know someone who receives SSI benefits for being unfit to work but is working a full time job and still receiving her monthly SSI and living off of section 8 housing. Is that even allowed?
Andie K.
I was recieving the ssi along with SSDI for a few months but as soon as I was able to do any work at all , I did. I still can’t physically do a full 8/9 hour day but I can work part time and I do. I reported my changes right away and SSI ended quite promptly. I have heard other people say you get punished for going back to work but I never thought of that as a punishment. They were supplementing my SSDI because my monthly benefit is so small. Now I am getting healthier and can supplement that benefit on my own. I do wish I could have kept the Medicaid though, I need a few major surgeries and not sure how I will pay for the 20%.
R.F.
Hi Andie. Special rules make it possible for people with disabilities receiving Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to work and still receive monthly payments. Remember that the SSI program is a needs based program, and the amount of your SSI benefits is based, in part, on your total income. In some cases, your Medicaid coverage can continue even after your SSI payments stop. Please contact your local Medicaid office for more information. We recommend you read our publication “Working While Disabled – How We Can Help”, to learn more about this important topic. Thanks!
R.F.
Hi Jo. Special rules make it possible for people with disabilities receiving Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to work and still receive their benefits. Social Security calls these rules “work incentives“. However, if you suspect fraud, waste or abuse of Social Security benefits, we encourage you to report it. Thanks.
Andie K.
I started recieving SSDI about 2 years ago. I had been in a terrible violent crime situation and lost most mobility of one my legs. This paired with the childhood full of abuse I went through, I fell into a severe deep depression. The sadness and anxiety and enormous weight gain nearly killed me. Since recieving the benefits (mainly the health insurance) I am getting better. I M able to get the much needed counseling, had weight loss surgery and even have a part time job now. I am able to leave my house which is something I had not done in a long time. While I am getting better, I’m not there yet. I’ve lost 200lbs but still have a ways to go and in need of several more surgeries on my leg before I will be able to work full time. If I work longer than 3 hours my leg swells up and actually leaks fluid. A family member who is mad at me has threatened to report me for fraud?!?! My question is, how bwould this be handled? To my knowledge I’ve been truthful and have reported my earnings but from what people are saying I should be very worried. People don’t understand that going on disability is a very emotional thing to do for some of us. We live with a stigma of being on welfare. Something like this could derail two years of really hard work. I M doing my best to use the system as intended and better my quality of life by getting healthy. I’ve even gone back to school so that I can be qualified for a job that fit my physical needs.
Richard M.
@ReportFedCrimes? @JusticeForMills? @RMills2010?
Richard M.
When Will Help Arrive? @TriStateMissing?
Theresa
( robinson.buckler @ yahoo. com) is a wonderful spell caster. Very trustworthy, he just restored my marriage and my husband is back for good…
Jay
Question, I’m married and receiving SSI, my wife keeps threatening to leave and not tell me where she’s going.
Will SSI restore my benefits completely if she just moves out? Also will I have to prove that she has moved out even if I don’t know where she has gone?
Thanks
R.F.
Hi Jay, if your wife moves out of the household, you will have to report the change to the local Social Security office. Visit our “Reporting Responsibilities” page for more information.
Tony
My mother died of kidney failure when I was 2. My father was my representative payee until the social security checks stopped when I reached age. I always heard the term “we use it to help raise him” from my father and step mother whenever a family member asked if I was receiving benefits from deceased mother. As I reached high school I became more aware of my father and stepmother being addicted to alcohol and cocaine. I never recall receiving any of these funds as they were very strict with money even if i asked for lunch money which resulted in myself packing a lunch for school until I was old enough to work and buy my own lunch. On top of this once I was receiving my own paycheck my father continuously “borrowed” money when I would get paid and to this day never paid back around 1500.00 that was owed to me. Due to my home life of physical and verbal abuse from both of them, I never pressed the issue of my mothers social security checks meant for me or the money that was still owed from borrowing my hard earned work money. At the age of 18, without warning, I removed myself from this situation to live with a relative. I am now 27 and in the last few years ran into another issue of finding out my father took multiple Credit cards out under my name and maxed out these cards. I am a junior so it was easy for him to use these cards in my name. I have since been able to clear my credit of anything he did but this social security issue has lingered in the back of my mind and I wonder if its to late for any sort of action?
I am almost 100 percent positive that these funds from my deceased mothers social security benefits were used as extra money for booze and drugs and just another way I wad used as a minor for financial gain. I do fear at this point it’s too late but any information or direction would be appreciated.