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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Kenda
What if someone is a fleeing felon like Shyla Janow of Valdosta Ga. and draws SSI. Why is she getting SSI. When she is running from probation in Woodward Ok.
R.F.
Hello Kenda. If you suspect fraud, waste or abuse of Social Security benefits, we encourage you to report it. We thank you for helping us fight fraud.
Jessica N.
What happens if my mother is opening my social security benefits mail!!!? And choosing to send all my mail back! My benefits have been messed up !
And my Federal housing administration’s papers!!!
I am very upset, what do I do!?
PLEASE,help she has even threatened my life!
Jessica Leigh Franck Nash
Giovanna s.
I just wanted to know if social security do care check ups on SSI people? I have a brother who is on ssi and has cebral paIsy and can’t walk Or really do for himself. And I haven’t seen or be able to talk to him in over a year and my oldest brother is the payee. And won’t let no one in the family know where he’s at or speak to him. But calm he’s ok and living in Florida. Which I’m having a hard time believing. Please let me know what I can do to get someone to check up on him and see if he’s ok ?
R.F.
Hi Giovanna. The Social Security Administration reviews SSI cases regularly to make sure the individuals receiving checks are still eligible to get them.
A representative payee must use SSI benefits to pay for the needs of the disabled individual. These needs could include payment for food, shelter, clothes, medical care and personal comfort items. Also, the representative payee must tell SSA of events that could affect these benefits.
However, if you suspect misuse of SSI benefits, we ask you to report it. You can call our toll free number at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and speak to one of our representatives. Or you can contact your local Social Security office. Thanks!
I d.
My mom has been using my social security number on whatever she wants/needs since the day I turned 18, I had no idea she was doing it until a few years ago, she is my mother so I fully trusted her I’m sure like any young, dumb, naive person like me would do with their mother, so my credit is ruined and she is still doing it to me and I just found out not too long ago that she has been using my children’s socials on things as well, I do not know what to do, how to stop it, or how to fix anything, there is no way I will be able to repay everything she has done, and to be quite honest I don’t understand why she was allowed to do this. And I’m making a huge risk just by commenting, so please any help or advice would be great and I would appreciate it so much! Thank you!
R.F.
Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions web page for information on this topic. Thanks!
Carla S.
I want to know how to report a stolen card and what steps to take next.
R.F.
Thank you for contacting us, Carla. If your Social Security card is lost or stolen, but there is no evidence that someone is using your number you can request a replacement card free of charge.
If you think someone is using your number, there are several actions you can take. Note that we can only resolve Social Security number reporting problems on our own records. See our Frequently Asked Questions web page and read our publication “Identity Theft and Your Social Security Number” for more information.
Rene L.
I have a son who is deaf and lives with his mother in Texas. He receives SSI and his mother is his payee,
I have since discovered she is misusing his money
for her own benefit . She can not keep a steady home and within a year has been evicted from 4 different apartments. She also had a DWI due to her drinking a while back. I also pay child support for my son and was recently paying her money on the side so she could pay bills. I am just concerned
that my son is not getting what he needs and the fact he does not have a steady home also worries me. Is there something I can do or someone I can call?
R.F.
Hi Rene, if you suspect misuse of SSI benefits, report it. We will investigate all allegations of misuse, gather facts and evidence, and make a decision on whether misuse has occurred. If we find misuse occurred, SSA may find a new representative payee. Generally, we look for family or friends to serve as representative payees. When friends or family are not able to serve as payees, Social Security looks for qualified organizations to be representative payees. 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. Thanks!
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natasha w.
yes i would like to get a trust fund for my daughter in social security tiffiany williams is a needed girl with promblems call us at 445-6356
Richard M.
My heroin addict son keeps changing my deposit info, withdrawing from my acct. Now hes done it again and i cant pay my rent I NEED HELP NOW, can’t wait for investigation i will be on the street and cant buy my medicine. What can i do?
John C.
A few days prior to July 18th, 2017 I received a letter from the SSA saying that my retirement benefits had been approved and that funds would be deposited to a bank I never heard of. On July 18th, 2017 I was to have a phone conference with my local SSA office to complete my application. The call never came in. At approximately 3:30PM I called the national SSA number and someone from Atlanta said that I already had a prior completed application on file and it was to pay out in September. Since I never completed the application myself she put a hold on it and advised me to immediately go to my local office. I RAN to the local office (in 90 degree temperature) with chest pains and made it there 5 minutes before closing. The individual was reluctant to help me. However, she did file a new application for me. Days later she sent me some additional documents to sign and send back to her. The documents were a formal ackowledment that I had no knowledge of the prior application. I signed them an sent them back the next day. She called me approximately five weeks later and asked me for the documents. I told her that I sent them back the next day. Luckily I keep copies of everything and sent her a set. Since that time she has called me once to leave a message that everything now was in the hands of another office. She will not return my calls for a status. The national SSA phone number puts me in contact with someone (I believe in Atlanta) who tells me that I need to go to my local office for support. It’s the proverbial run around!
My question is this. I was suppose to start receiving my payments in September. We are approaching the middle of January and I still don’t have any SSA benefits. No payments were ever lost by the SSA. Why can’t I start recieving my benefits? Why am I kept in the dark with no updates? Will I get a back payment lump sum? When can I expect some results? I hope you can see that this is making me feel like I’m the loser/victim when I am the one that has done everything right.
R.F.
We apologize for the delay and the inconveniences you’re experiencing, John. Unfortunately, but for security reasons, we do not have access to personal records in this blog.
Under these circumstances, you need to continue working with your local office. You can request to speak with the manager to see how we can help to expedite resolution of your situation, Thanks.