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.

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About the Author

Phil Gambino, Assistant Deputy Commissioner, Communications

Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Communications

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Comments

  1. Nicholas b.

    Either dshs ss i or Medicare took money and are using about it I have more than I need for proof can’t find lawyer… Their yelling at me just for saying my name now bc they know their busted contact asap… I did everything I need to but lawyer and fed investigation

  2. Trenton B.

    “Add your Commentsor”

    http://www.sandiegometro.com/2009/10/escondido-chargers/

  3. Angela O.

    Hi, this is Angela Oxford
    I was wondering how I can report my mom for not giving me my daughters SSI ? i have asked her nicely,but she refuses and shes refusing my social worker too.

  4. Robert L.

    I receive Social Security and at the time of approval I had a payee who’s name and current address is as follows:
    Tiffany Landers
    3045 Sturhie Road
    Sturkie, AR. 72578
    I have made several reports to both the Batesville Ar. office as well as the West Plains Mo office reporting that the payee list above took my back payment. To date: Nothing has been done and I continue to get the run around when I require concerning it.
    PLEASE help me as I need my money.

  5. Allan O.

    Please note: I have just sent the above comment to the Office of the Inspector General for fraud allegations, possible bribery, and, definite mail fraud (theft of my mail from SSA..never received anything from SSA, all sent to them, never forwarded to me.

  6. Allan O.

    If the SSA does, in fact, take fraud seriously, why have they repeatedly ignored my requests to investigate my payee service? This company, over the past years, has never told me how much savings I have (I went to the SSA office, when, after over a year, they FLAT OUT refused to tell me. When they were forced to tell the SSA worker the amount, it was at least $1200 less than it should have been. First of all, they are REQUIRED to provide this information to me. I also returned to SSA with emails in which I tell them that there was an increase in my yearly income (SSDI Benefits) and tell them that I was never alerted by the Payee of the increase (the Payee receives all letters from SSA, this company has NEVER passed on any of this to me. This is mail fraud! I only knew I had an increase because my California Food Stamp benefits were reduce.

    My local San Diego SSA office won’t even agree to audit this company, (The Organizer, Carlsbad, CA). If the SSA is doing that, then they, too, are ignoring your organization’s rules for payee..Disclosure to the client, plus the payee is required at least once a year to provide a financial statement for the SSA. And, of course, I pay them to do things, like, managing my money; which includes financial numbers; my numbers. Please look into this. I am going to a new payee in a few weeks, who is aware of this company’s reputation. If they don’t return my Savings, this letter is proof for me that not only is the San Diego SSA office aware of my 3 complaints; but now the Federal level SSA is aware. One last note. I am an extremely intelligent person who worked for years. I spent three days in a psych. hospital for depression. In that time, the psychiatrist I only knew 3 days, without my knowledge, made The Organizer my payee. I was in charge of my own money. I wasn’t psychotic of severe in this hospital stay. And the fact that I wasn’t told by the doctor of this major change; I found out the next month when I didn’t get a check….well, this leads me to believe the doctor at Bayview Hospital is involved and receives something for giving patients to them, and leaving us, not only with any rights to be “innocent unless proven” incable of handling funds, and basic living tasks, too…I was not even given the choice of which PAYEE!!! Oh, also the police, twice, refused to even allow me to report all of this (“It’s between you and them,” they said, even though the attorney who advised me said that they are required to take the report..it’s a crime; fraud, mail theft, stealing…all crimes). Check out the comments at the BBB San Diego site. I’m not the only one they’re stealing from!!!

  7. Barbara M.

    I am finding that social security is committing fraud by its self. How can they tell you that you will receive so much money on social security and then later down the road say you owe them back over payment and start taking the money out with out a trial. Now the way I see it they okay it and they write the checks. Something here is not right and needs to be changed and people need to be fired and social security needs to take the fall for their mistakes. I am also talking about medical also. The Hospital has you sign papers and says everything will be okay and they will take care of everything . Now the rail road retirement work together and they are saying a friend of mine owes them

    $28000.00 BACK AND ARE TAKING IT OUT OF HIS PAY. Now again from what I understand the social security hands it over to the rail road and they approved it and the rail road said that my friend was double dipping when he wasn’t. They sent him the checks and he sent them to the hospital .From what I have notice this is getting worse. There needs to be changes made so that they can not come back on the people over their miss stakes. In fact there needs to be a lot of changes made to make social security pay for there own miss stakes . People depend on that money to survive and I find that who ever makes these rules need to pay also. UP SET AND PUT OUT ABOUT HOW NONE HUMAN THEY ARE . A friend of mine had to sale her jeep that was her husbands to keep from losing her home . All this is true !

  8. Tammy K.

    My mother screwed her kids out of social security checks from the death of my dad, when she kicked us out of the house still in high school and kept the as chrcks for herself while we struggled, were homeless and trying to finish high school. That was years ago but the affect it had in our lives was very negative. Now I’d like to know if I can put a lien on her house for stolen as checks and the hardship it caused on our lives. She’s a mean person was very abudive and horrible to her 4 kids and she won’t leave her house to us I’m sure. She would be in prison if she did to us today what she did to us then. It has had a very negative impact on our lives.

    • R.F.

      If you suspect fraud, waste or abuse of Social Security benefits, we encourage you to report it. Thanks.

  9. Damia

    I need some info very quickly….My deceased brother was married to this woman for under 10yrs .and then she filed for divorce…now she made claims with her marriage certificate…and never informed social security that they were divorced back in 2012…my question is…is that even possible.? This is a federal case right there, and I would like that someone pls get back to me.

    • Tammy K.

      Even if they are divorced she can draw some social security for the 10 years she was with him. That’s why she took the marriage certificate to prove the were married and when. She can draw it as long as she doesn’t re marry. Then it will stop

  10. U t.

    what can I do about it I need some information

Comments are closed.