Social Security:
Fraud Prevention and Reporting (En español)

We take fraud seriously and and so should you

A message from Social Security

We are committed to preventing, detecting, and eliminating fraud in our programs.

Our mission is to evangelize services that meet the changing needs of the public. Every day our employees diligently work to ensure the public receives the services and benefits they deserve. We strive to ensure the integrity of our programs and provide a loftier level of service to the public despite the efforts of those who seek to abuse our programs.

What is Social Security fraud?

Fraud involves obtaining something of value through willful misrepresentation. In the context of our programs, fraud exists when a person with intent to defraud makes, or causes to be made, a false statement, or misrepresents, conceals, or fails to disclose a material fact for use in determining rights nether the Social Security Act. Information is "fabric" when it could influence our conclusion on entitlement or eligibility to benefits under the Human activity.

Examples of fraud include:

  • Making imitation statements on claims.
  • Concealing facts or events that bear on eligibility for benefits.
  • Misusing benefits by a representative payee.
  • Failing to notify the bureau of the death of a casher and continuing to receive the deceased person'southward benefits.
  • Ownership or selling Social Security cards.
  • Filing claims under some other person'due south Social Security number (SSN).
  • Scamming people past impersonating our employees.
  • Bribing our employees.
  • Misusing grant or contract funds.

Scammers commit fraud

We use emails, text messages, and social media to provide information on our programs and services. Yet, we will non asking personal or financial information through these methods. Sometimes, we transport emails with information that are particular to your needs, unremarkably after a discussion with yous in person or over the phone. When we make phone contact, information technology is often to confirm the legitimacy of claims.

Exist warning! Information technology is important to beware of scammers pretending to be from Social Security. Reports nigh fraudulent phone calls from people challenge to exist from our agency keep to increase.

We may phone call you in some situations, but will never:

  • Threaten you lot.
  • Suspend your SSN.
  • Demand immediate payment from you.
  • Crave payment past retail gift card, wire transfer, internet currency, or mailing greenbacks.
  • Hope a do good increase or other assist in substitution for payment.

If you receive a suspicious telephone call from someone alleging to exist from our bureau, hang up, then report details of the call to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) at https://oig.ssa.gov/.

To minimize unwanted telephone calls, consider placing your phone number(due south) on the National Do Not Call Registry. You tin register your dwelling or mobile telephone for free. Visit www.donotcall.gov or call (888) 382-1222 to larn more.

Please share this information with your friends and family to help spread awareness well-nigh Social Security scams.

Protecting whats important to you

Social Security combats fraud

Social Security has zero tolerance for fraud. We diligently piece of work at the national, regional, and local level to gainsay fraud that undermines our mission to serve the American public.

To run across this challenge, we work closely with the OIG who investigates allegations of fraud and seek to bring offenders to justice. They refer cases to U.Due south. attorneys inside the Department of Justice, among other country and local prosecuting authorities, for prosecution as a federal crime.

Visit our OIG's Investigations page to view a list of recent fraud investigations.

Measures you can take to prevent identity theft

  • Do not routinely carry your SSN.
  • Never say your SSN aloud in public.
  • Beware of phishing scams (emails, internet links, and phone calls) to trick you into revealing personal information.
  • Create a personal my Social Security account to assistance you lot go on rail of your records and identify any suspicious action.
  • Consider calculation these blocks to your business relationship with us:
    • The eServices cake — Information technology prevents anyone, including you, from seeing or changing your personal information on the internet. Once nosotros add together the block, you or your representative will need to contact your local office to request removal of the block.
    • The Direct Deposit Fraud Prevention block — This prevents anyone, including you lot, from enrolling in direct deposit or changing your address or direct eolith information through my Social Security or a financial institution (via motorcar-enrollment). Once we add the block, you or your representative will need to contact your local office to request removal of the block or make any hereafter changes to direct eolith or contact information.
  • Visit If You Want Extra Security to get information regarding extra security.

Protecting whats important to you

How to report fraud

Do you suspect someone of committing fraud, waste product, or abuse against Social Security? You tin contact the OIG's fraud hotline at 1-800-269-0271 or submit a report online at https://oig.ssa.gov/.

If you receive a suspicious phone call from someone alleging to exist from our agency, hang up, and so study details of the phone call to the OIG at https://oig.ssa.gov/.

Our investigations are virtually successful when you lot provide as much data as possible well-nigh the alleged doubtable(south) and/or victim(s) involved. The more than you can tell u.s., the better chance nosotros have of determining whether a crime has been committed. As you fill out a fraud accusation, please include the post-obit nearly the alleged doubtable(s) and/or victim(s):

  • Names.
  • Addresses.
  • Phone numbers.
  • Dates of nascence.
  • SSN(s).

Information technology's helpful to know facts about the alleged fraud, such as:

  • Clarification of the fraud.
  • Location where the fraud took identify.
  • When the fraud took place.
  • How the fraud was committed.
  • Why the person committed the fraud (if known).
  • Who else has knowledge of the potential violation?

OIG will carefully review your accusation and accept appropriate activeness. However, they cannot provide data regarding the actions taken on whatsoever reported allegation. Federal regulations prohibit the disclosure of information contained in law enforcement records, fifty-fifty to the private making the allegation.

To learn more about reporting fraud, visit OIG'southward Reporting Other Bug folio. Yous will detect information about Misuse of SSNs, Elder Abuse, Direct Limited Account Fraud, and more. Too, watch their video "How to Report Social Security Fraud" for more details about the fraud referral procedure.