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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Celina P.
I’ve got one of the most sophisticated hackers attached to me than any of the IT specialists I’ve been working with have seen. I got an alert on July 6th stating my SSN had been “pinged” by my credit monitoring company. I started calling the credit bureaus, then I started asking questions. A few days later I got 7 alerts back-to-back, all of them about my SSN being on dark web, being on a child porn site (and I better send Bit-Coin or they will send my info to police), and then I looked at my IPhone one day and saw this hacker looking me up on “TruthFinder.com”. I knew then that life as I had known it was OVER!! It’s been almost two months, I’ve replaced or repaired 12 devices so far, closed out 18 credit accounts, closed my checking account, changed all of my emails, passwords, user names, etc. I’m STILL being hacked daily thru my root system! He has a license for Verisign to get Security Certificates under false apps, (HULU.Gibson) was one of them, Adobe Acrobat DC was another, as well as Cortana, Chrome, and these are just in the first week. Can anyone tell me how to be rid of this menace once and for all?? BTW, his credentials (verification for security certificates) always start with sha1, and he is getting in through these certificates which he then has access to write code, and take over ALL administrator privileges to where you can no longer even delete the infected files if you want. I’m CRAZY with worry about all of our tax returns were on those devices he hacked as well as many more docs (College transcripts, etc.)
Agen S.
fair price? {Thanks
Sbobet
yourself? Either way keep up the excellent quality writing, it is rare to see a nice blog like this one nowadays.|
Michael A.
If I suspect someone of having my personal information and contacting Social Security pretending to be me, what steps do i take to make my benefits safe?
R.F.
Hello Michael. Unfortunately, and because of security reasons we do not have access to personal records in this blog and cannot assist you at this time.
You will need to speak to one of our representatives. Please call our toll free number at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Generally, you will have a shorter wait time if you call later during the day or later in the week. Or contact your local office directly. Thanks!
Melissa A.
I firmly believe that someone should be ABSOLUTELY PUNISHED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW if they are caught or just doing it at all using and wrecking someone else’s GOOD NAME all because the have chosen to screw the one that “they ” we’re already given and screwed up. I I ALSO BELIEVE THAT NO ONE ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH has the right to take someone else’s life and turn it upside down when all that the person has done wrong was WORK EVERY DAY OF THEIR LIFE JUST TO BE ABLE TO ENJOY THE FINER THINGA THAT ONLY “THEY” ARE ENTITLED TO. NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO go around stealing someone else’s image and THEREFORE DAMAGING THE PERSONS CREDIBILITY WHICH IN TURN then screws up their family, the way that their family depends on that person to keep their good name intact in order to survive in the world. I believe that IDENTITY THEFT AND ANY KIND OF HUMAN IMPERSONATION WHERE YOU ARE ASSUMING THE LEGAL NAME OF ANOTHER PERSON IS A WAY OF TEARING SOMEONE ELSE DOWN , IS A DISRESPECTFUL, NEGLOGANT WAY OF INFLICTING A FORM OF BODILY INJURY on someone else’s safety while also damniging and causing mental anguish because you aren’t only screwing up their image but their frame of mind your stealing precious moments of time in their life to have to try to find the easiest possible ways to fix the MOST SIGNIFICANT PARTS OF THER LIFE, NOT TO MENTION WRACKING UP LOTS OF DEBT IF WHAT THEIR USING THEIR STOLEN IDENTITIES FOR YOU ARE STEALING ONE OPTION TO BE AT PEACE IN THEIR MINDS REEKING HAVOC IN WAYS THAT BY LAW ARE A PERSONS GIVEN RIGHT TO PREVENT THIS KIND OF SHIT FROM HAPPENING, WHEN THEY SHOULD JUST SUCK IT UP AN FIX THEIR OWN SHIT. AND THE MOST DAMAGING I BELIEVE IS TAKING SOMEONES CREDIBILITY AWAY FROM THEM IT CAN BE HAZARDOUS IN SO MANY WAYS TO ONE S HEALTH WHEN THEY CAN NO LONGER GO ANYWHERE AND BE TAKEN AT THEIR WORD. NO ONE DESERVES NOT TO BE BELIEVED WHEN SAYING SOMETHING BECAUSE THATS REALLY THE ONLY THING THAT ANYONE REALLY HAS AND WITHOUT THAT YOU DONT HAVE MANY OPTIONẞ, AND WHO THE HELL HAS THE RIGHTT TO SCREW UP THEIR OWN CRAP AND BECAUSE THEY WERE SO IRRESPONSABLE BECAUSE THEY DIDNT HAVE THE SMARTA TO THINK FOR THEMSELVES OR WERE JUST SMART ENOUGH TO LET SOME LOSER LEAD THEM AROUND BY THEIR TAIL , SHOULD THEY BE ALLOWED TO TAKE EVERYTHIBG THAT SOMEONE ELSE DID THE VERY OOOOSITE OF AND EARNED EVERY DIME EVERY REWARD EVERY BREATH THAT THEY TOOK TO GET WHAT THEY HAVE TODAY , AWAY FROM THEM THAT GOES FOR SOCIAL SECURITY WHICH IS THE WAY THWY WILL LIVE WHEN THEY CAN NO LONGER TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES A FINANCIAL WAY TO ENSURE THEY WONT BE STARVING TWENTY YRS FROM NOW, IT GOES FOR ALL THE PEOPLE THAT THEYVE COME TO KNOW IN THEIR LIFE THAT WILL HAVE TO BELIEVE IN EVERYTHING THAT THEY SAY WITH THE ASSURANCE THAT WHEN IF THEY ARE IN NEED OF ANYTHING THAT THEY WILL HAVE THOSE POEOPLE THAT THEY CAN TRUST AND THAT HAVE ENTRUSTED IN THEM IT GOES FOR BEING ABOE TO HOLD YOUR HEAD UP WHEREVER THEY GO WITH THE CONFIDENCE THAT IT TAKES TO BE able to go out into the Public and into the rest of the world with their dignity self respect and the feeling of that they earned the right to take up the space they occupy in the street in their home on the street in the space that their home takes up in the world they SHOULD BE THE ONLY ONE THAT GOES BY THEIR NAME THEY SHOULD BE THE ONLY ONE THAT DESERVES THE THINGS THAT THEY ACCUMULATE ON THE WAY INTO THE REST OF THEIR LIVES , AND I BELIEVE THAT ANYONE WHO TAKES THE RIGHTS FROM ANYONE ELSE FROM JUST BEING ABLE TO WALK INTO A STORE AND GET THE THINGS THEY NEED IN ORDER TO LIVE A COMFORTABLE LIFE AND ANYONE THAT TAKES THE RIGHT OF SOMEONE WHO MAY BE IN ANY HARMFUL DANGER THAT COULD COST THEM THEIR OWN LIFE AND THE LIVES OF ANYONE THAT THEY LOVE BY ASKING FOR HELP FROM ANYONE, AND THEN EITHER BEING DENIED OR QUESTIONED ABOUT THE TRUTH NESS TO THEIR SITUATION OR SITUATION THEY HAPPEN TO BECOME APART OF JUST BY EVER HAVING BEING SECOND GUESSED OR WHETHER OR NOT HEY SHOULD BE TAKEN AT FACE VALUE IS THE MOST UNDENIABLY DISGUSTING THING YOU COULD DO TO ANOTHER HUMAN BEING TO TAKE AWAY SOMEONES PRIDE OR FEELING OF JOY OR SENSE OF SAFTEY OR THEIR RIGHT TO EVER RELAX IS JUST BY FAR THE MOST UNDERHANDED LOW DOWN BENEATH SEA LEVEL OF A KIND OF PERSON TO BE. I DONT THINK THAT EVEN HAVE A WORD FOR THAT LOW LEVEL CALIBUR OF KIND OF WAY OF BEING, YOU MIGHT AS WELL JUST MURDER THEM, WHATS THE DIFFERENCE , TO LEAVE SOMEONE HELPLESS, HOPELESS, AND TIRED ARTER ALL THE HARD WORK THAT THEY DID JUST TO TAKE IT AWAY FROM THEM IS INEXCUSABLE. I BELIEVE AND EYE FOR ANY EYE HOWEVER THEY TAKE IT FROM SOMEONE ELSE IS HOW THEY OUGHT HAVE IT TAKEN EXACTLY AWAY FROM THEM. EVERYBODY HAS THEIR OWN RIGHTS AND NOBODY SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO TAKE THEM AWAY FROM ANYBODY ELSE. I SAY THROW THE BOOK AND EVERYTHING ELSE AT THE CROOKED SONS OF BITCHES THAT DO IT AND PUNISH THEM TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, MAKE THEM PAY FOR EVERYTHING THAT IT COST THE ONES THEY TOOK IT FROM JUST TO GET IT BACK. BE CICIL , BE RESPECTFUL AND TREAT EVERYONE THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED YOURSELF AND TRY NIT TO HURT ANYONE IF ITS POSSIBLE BECAUSE WHO WANTS TO TAKE THE SPARKLE AND HOPE FROM ANYONE, IF THERES ANYTHING TO YOU THAT IS. SORRY FOR THE LONG COMMENT BUT IM GOING THROUGH THIS CRAP WITH MY SO CALLED BOYFRIEND TAJING OTHER CHICKS TO HOTEL ROOMS WHEN HE NEVER TOOK ME AND USING MY NAME TO ADD ANOTHER WORLD OF HURT TO ADD TO THE 6YRS OF DOUNLE LIFE WORLD IF HURT , HES USING MY NAME IN THE NAME OF FRAUD MAKING MORE OF AN ASS OUT OF ME AND ALL CUZ I BELIEVED IN HIM WHAT A JOKE HUH, well to hell with him I KNOW WHEERE IT IS AND WHAT IM DOING IM ACCOUNTED FOR AND IM WHERE IM SAYING THAT IM ATHE HOWEVER HAS THE MEANS TO PAY TO MAKE HIM LOOOK AS THOUGH HES NOT GUILTY AND HES DOE AND SCREWED ME SO MUCH ITS PAST A JOKE 5YRS AGO, HES CHARGING HOTEL ROOMS BY A FRAUDELENT CREDIT CARD IN MY NAME OR UNDER MY NAME WITH NO GIVEN PERMISSION HE HAS ABSOLUTELY NO RIGHT OR GO AHEAD FROM ME ITS DONE ALL ILLEGALLY AND AGAINST MY WISHES, SO THIS IS WHY AND YOU HAVE NO IDEA TO THE LENGTH OG THIS DUDES CROOKEDNESS BUT HE S CAUSING ME ALL THE GRIEF THAT I SAID I WAS AGAINST CAUSING SOMEONE ELSE, AND NOW IM IN NEED OF HELP TO CALL HIM ON HIS CROOKED SHIT IN ORDER TO SAVE MY NAME , PLEASE HELEP ME.IF THERES ANYTHING I XAN DO TO HELP U OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW I AM ALREADY THERE I WAS THERE AT ATTENTION YESTERDAY. SINCERELY, MELISSA CARROLL COCHRANE FROM SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA 95820 AND MY PH# IS (530) 9886692. PLEASE IF YOU XAN HELP ME OR I CAN DO SOMETHING FOR YOU, ANYTIME DAY ORNIGHT ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT JUST CALL THAT PH.# I LEFT ABOVE. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR LISTENING, OR READING ,AND I THANK U FOR YOUR TIME ALWAYS,. I RAISE MY HAND AND AM THANKFUL TO BE AN AMERICAN AND IM THANKFUL THAT YOU GUYS WILL DO YOUR BEST AT EVERYTHING YOU SET OUT TO DO IN LIFE AND THAT YOULL DO RIGHT BY THOSE CLOSEST TO YOU AND IN THE WAY OF OTHERS. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING YOU SOCIAL SECURITY PEOPLE. YOUR TERRIFIC???? AND GO BREAST CANCER AWARENESS GROUPS ?️?️?️?️?️?️?️?️?️?️?️?️?️?️?️?️?️?️!!!!
Grammar N.
Holy run-on sentence! I think I may qualify for disability for the aneurysm I just had trying to read all that.
Deborah a.
where is my check been missing for 4 years ID THEFT
AGirlWithAThousandQuestions
I was receiving SSI benefits based on my fathers disability. I chose my grandmother to be my payee after my previous payee(mother), went to jail in 2011. I lived with my grandmother from July of 2011 – Oct of 2012. From Oct of 2012 up to current date; I have NOT been in the care of my grandmother(payee), however she was still collecting my SSI payments. I did not keep in contact with her from Oct 2012 to current date due to safety reasons. My ‘benefit statement’ shows that my benefits were stopped in July of 2016 when I turned 18.So I called SSA to get copies of my 1099’s for each year that I was no longer under her care and totaled up roughly $27,500 of benefits that were NEVER allocated and/or spent on things in relations to my essentials (clothes, medical bills, utilities for the house I was actually staying at, food etc) I’ve reported this to OIG 15 days ago.
My questions are:
1) Is it legal for a payee rep to collect SSI payments for a beneficiary who’s no longer under her care?
2) If my payee did the right thing and notified SSA that I wasn’t living with her any longer; would that have effected my payments of stopped them?
3) If OIG determines foul play and goes to recover the funds; will I then get the funds that were fraudulently used?
4) Will this effect me in the future should I ever need any type of benefits from SSA?
I have an appointment tomorrow but can’t get my mind off of this and just nee general reassurance. Thanks!
Pam H.
Ex friend took my social security benefits for june. I need a replacement check in order to live.
miguel a.
i lost my i.d. and all my info im afraid of loosing my benifits and my information due to fraud i need to know what i can do to protect myself from anything happening to my info and my benifits.
miguel a.
ive been paralyzed for 10 yrs i suffer from ptsd depression and anxiety insomnia i have numerous medical conditions and i feel like nobody is helping ive been to programs rehabilitation facilities and numerous councelors and situations and none of my needs are being met im still having day to day complications and i feel like nobody is helping
Dennis P.
I watch my neighbor doing more in a day then I do. When he first moved there he had wheel chairs,oxygen tanks,crutches and canes. Now he can walk,roll around on the ground mow his lawn load his lawn mower in his pickup. I never see him have assistance from any of the above. But my question is how am I supposed to believe that he disabled?I am 75 years old and still required to pay income tax property tax and all other taxes. He brags that he has better insurance (hospitalization)than I do,and doesn’t have to pay any taxes. But I hope you will give me an answer on how I actually he deserving of benefits. I know you won’t. I have yet to think that there has never been a government program that has not been abused.Is there any follow ups on how the recipients are progressing?
R.F.
Thank you for contacting us, Dennis. Current law requires that we review disability cases periodically to see if individuals are still disabled. How often we review each case depends on whether the medical condition is expected to improve. Visit our Disability Planner: Reviewing Your Disability for more information.
There are provisions that allow people receiving Social Security disability benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to work and continue to receive disability benefits. However, if you suspect Social Security FRAUD, we ask that you report it. Thanks!