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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Gabriela G.
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Bevererly E.
Someone has my social security number. Im getting notices from the federal government they are filing fraud cases on me. Can i ever get a new number as od January 1st 2019 i will be eligablw for benniffets.
R.F.
Hello Bevererly. Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions web pages, for information on this topic. Thanks!
Karen M.
Hi! Upon my return from vacations , another passenger took my suitcase my mistake. I had my SSN card in my suitcase; hence, it got exposed to another person. I called multiple times the SS Administration and did not get a response. How can I report to the SSA the exposure of my SSN card to a stranger in Arizona.
Thank you!
R.F.
Hello Karen, if you think someone is using your Social Security number, there are several actions you can take. Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions web page for information on this topic. Thanks!
Suzanne R.
Someone has fraudulently gotten my social security number.name, address and email and has opened up a new charge card in my name It is now an account on alert
What do I do about my number being used by someone other than me?
R.F.
Hello Suzanne. If you think someone is using your number, there are several actions you can take. Visit our Frequently Asked Questions web page for information on this topic. Thanks!
Armandina S.
“Best Blogpost! Thanks for sharing your info. I really appreciate your efforts and I will_ be waiting for your further write ups thank you once again.”
R.F.
Thank you, Armandina! Your thoughts are important to us and we’re pleased when feedback is positive. Please continue to keep in touch!
Rafi n.
I was very bud accident Date 5/14/2004 after that I apply for Disability Retirement SSI by the attorney than the Law
passed I Retired until now 11 yrs now I Received a letter –
From Social Security Determined my Benefits I Do not understand why the are broking the Disability Law my age
is Soon 65 they are true me down like Fraud need help
wanda l.
i received a call that my ss had been compromised i tried to call back 3 times with my name and phone number. no returned calls. then an officer called and said my ss had been uspended
R.F.
Hello Wanda, SSA employees occasionally contact citizens by telephone for customer-service purposes. An SSA employees may call you in limited situations, such as if you recently filed a claim or have other Social Security business that are pending. In only a few limited special situations, usually already known to the citizen, an SSA employee may request the citizen to confirm personal information over the phone. If a person has questions about any communication—email, letter, text or phone call—that claims to be from SSA, please contact your local Social Security office, or call Social Security’s toll-free customer service number at 1-800-772-1213, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, to verify its legitimacy (TTY number at 1-800-325-0778). Thanks.
Jan G.
Why am I having to pay$4,443.97 when I was in prison and I wrote and told social security to stop my checks but did not and my ex and several others stoled my card and spent that money…social security and DirectExpress are doing nothing. I’ve filled out reports for fraud and witnesses have made statements but neither social security or DirectExpress are doing nothing to press charges against them but making me pay what they have stolen every month I struggle even harder and my check keeps getting lower.
Kriss E.
My elderly mother gets social security , she gets her social security as direct deposit , is it possible to get a paper check going forward as her bank account is so upside down and she has no other type of income . All back activity is in claims process but they will keep her money until case is reviewed . HELP !! I will take her to local office today , just wanted to get a head start on what we will need to get her check mailed .
R.F.
Thank you for contacting us, Kriss. The Treasury Department requires federal benefit payments to be made electronically. The Treasury Department published a final rule in December 2010 to gradually phase out paper checks for federal benefit payments. As of March 1, 2013, if you receive or are applying for these federal benefits, you are required by law to receive payments through direct deposit to your bank or credit union account or to a Direct Express® Debit MasterCard® card.
Exceptions will be granted in rare circumstances.
Our representatives will be able to provide more information if needed.
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