*** Social Security Fraud Alert ***

December 3, 2012
Within the last week or so, Social Security has become aware of nationwide fraud problem associated with its automatic deposits of SS payments into Social Security recipient bank accounts. Remember, online deposit of payments is a mandated action by March of 2013. The problem: automatic payments get switched to different accounts. Yes - your money does not get credited to you - it goes to someone else. Someone has changed your banking information in the SS database. Who does this? Banks can online modify SS account deposits without recipient notification. I didn't know that. This is the root problem. How widespread is this problem? Nationwide How do you solve this problem? 1. Document everything concerned with your online SS account from this point onward. Keep a detailed and accurate journal of everything I discuss below. 2. Go to your local SS office immediately. Bring ID and account information, including both the bad account number as well as the proper bank account number. Ask to have your account blocked for future online changes. Ask that a duplicate/replacement payment be made to you immediately (3-5 days). Ask to have an OIG investigation initiated and request that OIG contact you with the results of their investigation. This may take several weeks (there is a big backlog). Ask to have your correct banking direct deposit information inserted into your SS account immediately (1-2 days). This whole visit will take about 45 minutes (minimum) at the SS window, so plan on it taking a while. 3. Get all three credit bureau reports online or have them be sent to you to see if there have been any credit fraud problems in addition to the SS fraud issue. If there have been credit charges made to your SS number, file a local police report with details of the problems immediately, and notify all three credit bureaus of the problem. 4. If there are no bogus charges against any of your credit accounts (and this is, therefore, just an SS fraud problem), then the local police may not be interested, or they may not be able to help you. To the local police, this appears to be solely a federal issue, and they know OIG will be doing the official investigation. Having said that, your state Attorney General may want you to file a report with them. Notify all three credit agencies of the problem immediately. 5. If you find there ARE bogus charges on your credit report, and you can show your Social Security number has been stolen or compromised, you should immediately file for a new Social Security number. There are several hoops that you will have to go through to get a new SS number, and good record keeping and evidence of the crimes will help facilitate this process. Notify all three credit agencies of the problem immediately. At a minimum, and even if there is no problem with your SS account, I would suggest that you go to your local SS office early in the morning and ask to have your online account blocked from anyone making any online changes to your banking information. Bring valid ID and a blank check or other banking information with you when you go, just in case they want to verify the existing banking information. As I mentioned, this appears to be a brand new problem, so I have no idea what additional information will be helpful. Take care of this problem this week. It's important.