Disability, Frauds & Scams, General, Retirement, Survivors

Social Security Takes Fraud Seriously

June 15, 2015 • By

Reading Time: 1 Minute

Last Updated: August 19, 2021

An identity thief holds a Social Security card in front of a keyboardOne 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.

Did you find this Information helpful?

Yes
No
Thanks for your feedback!

Tags: , ,

See Comments

About the Author

Phil Gambino, Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Communications

Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Communications

Comments

  1. Christine

    If you took fraud seriously then you would look into Michael Edward Daly, 55 Buckingham Court. He owns three homes. about 4 vehicles, which one is used for Seal Coating. He has a trailer that he goes camping with. He also jets skies and you can find him at all the golf club golfing.
    What I want to know if your total disability how can you golf, bowl, Forgot to mention he is on a bowling league in Brick.
    I have fought to survive and to feed my kids but this scum bag get to live off the county..
    Do something, make it right…

  2. Kimberly w.

    Need information.

    • Kimberly w.

      My money was stolen out of my acct. What can i do.

  3. Kimberly w.

    My money was stolen out of my acct. How do i get it back.

  4. Theresa J.

    Why would my father’s SS check drop from 500.00 to 300.00 in Jan. 2018? 93 yrs. old

    • R.F.

      Unfortunately, and because of security reasons we do not have access to personal records in this blog and cannot answer your question at this time. One of our representatives should be able to provide your father with an explanation.
      If your father needs help managing his Social Security benefits, you may be interested in applying to become his representative payee. As a representative payee, you will be able to talk with us and have access to your father’s records.
      For more information, call our toll free number at 1-800-772-1213. Representatives are available Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Thanks!

  5. Mortisha S.

    If the above statement was true,Project H.O.M.E would not exist.I have reported this to you before.There is 127 Google reviews showing how they treat us on who are disabity cliants.I have had it with them not paying me my weekly pay.I have had it with them keeping my unpaid and unspent funds that rollover to the next month,increasing in amount every month.Yet they refuse to acknowlage these funds exist.I believe they deliberitly do not pay my weekly’s on regular basis and refuse to respond to my need for my balance of funds to pay mounting medical issues..They are trying to kill me.So they can keep all of my money.

  6. bijoykumar s.

    Requirement your fund implement for Bangladesh .

  7. Linda O.

    I am a victim of Fraud and Identity Theft. Right now, my Social Security / Disability has been shut down as of January and I will no longer receive benefits after March. I am also OWED back Cost of Living Adjustments (C.O.L.A.s) since at least 2007…I asked for an audit since 2005 and did not receive it. I have Fibromyalgia and Migraines as well as Depression/Anxiety with PTSD and I cannot work a 9-5 job with my illnesses. I find creative ways to work around my pain and INVEST in my creativity . I have had my copyrighted material stolen and my identity used as well as my social security number. The theives have produced my music as well as other works of Art and Design from my professional portfolio as well as Comedy I have performed in clubs, and produced, distributed it and gained earnings and profits and those earnings and profits were given to others and I have never been the beneficiary of any of those works produced involving my name since 1996, Linda Ophoenix.

  8. Christine R.

    What do I need to do (if anything) if in the past job of 10 years, my boss knowingly did not take social security out and instructed me to pay my own taxes?

  9. Michelle C.

    I was chosen to be my daughter’s Representative Payee after her father passed away in June 2017 and filed to receive the monthly benefits in July of 2017 but still haven’t received the Direct Express card or any benefits so far and I’ve been hearing a lot of rumors amongst my family members that my daughter’s aunt has been receiving the benefits for the past few months. I don’t believe I have any way of proving this fraud accusation…but if there is some way to prove this I would like to be aware so that I could possibly get the situation fixed and have the person guilty of fraud punished for the crime considering my daughter has not seen a single penny from the benefits in any way whatsoever. I know for a fact that when someone is chosen as a Representative Payee by the Social Security Administration that the person chosen is required to use the benefits to pay for the living costs of the minor child receiving the monthly check. My daughter lives with me and has lived with me since her father passed, so the thought of any other person/family member receiving her benefits but not giving her anything from those benefits is really beyond frustrating. It seems as though the Social Security office has went out of there way in making sure my daughter does not receive any of the benefits owed so far and if there’s someone else receiving those benefits on my or my daughter’s behalf, there should be some way to prove it. It’s only right that the child who’s owed the benefits actually receives them, and the law is brought in on the person committing the fraud against her and myself, her mother!

  10. MARION

    I need to talk to some one in person I am nearly deaf my eyes are bad too ,but my chech go to Visa card and it was compromised so i went to the bank ,cause of my hearing to report the trouble ! So they took my card that i use to buy food and pay rent I got checks so i could pay my rent But when my new card came it was oweing 5 dollars so i had no money for food ! I call my bank they sent me to the claims dept and they refused to return money ! They said i needed to call the company that took it that they couldnot ! So i call that company and they said they would return the money that a week ago but no money came so i called again they said my card company wont take it ! So icall them till it was point less neither one will return my money

Comments are closed.