{"id":25200,"date":"2021-09-22T11:19:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-22T19:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/?p=25200"},"modified":"2022-09-09T09:44:11","modified_gmt":"2022-09-09T17:44:11","slug":"fake-letters-from-social-security","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spokeo.com\/compass\/fake-letters-from-social-security\/","title":{"rendered":"Fake Letters From Social Security: Mail Fraud Is Still a Thing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When you think of Social Security scams you probably envision questionable emails <\/a>or badgering, high-pressure phone calls<\/a>.  Those are certainly the most prominent and widespread versions of the scam, but they\u2019re not the only ways criminals try to exploit the public. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One fraud that\u2019s been around for a long time, and still occurs, comes in the form of fake letters from Social Security.  Yep, we\u2019re talking about real, hard-copy \u201cdead-tree\u201d letters; aka good old-fashioned snail mail.  Despite the stylishly retro approach, at bottom it\u2019s still the same cynical, ruthless scam. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seriously?  Snail Mail Scam Letters?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The idea of scammers doing their work through regular letter mail might seem bizarrely old-fashioned, like holding up a train, but in truth it\u2019s not as strange as it appears.  The U.S. Postal Inspection Service recorded 441 mail fraud convictions<\/a> in 2018 alone, and the FTC\u2019s 2019-2020 stats show 1,000 complaints<\/a> of mail fraud. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you think those numbers sound relatively small, you\u2019re right.  The same FTC report detailed 16,000 complaints of phone scams, 10,000 online scams and 4,000 email scams.  So why do some scammers still persist in using such an old-school approach?  Because, simply, it works.  While mail-based scams accounted for a lower number of complaints, the scammers were rewarded with a higher median \u201ctake\u201d from each victim:  $1,800 as opposed to $1,500 for phone scammers and only a few hundred dollars each for the others.  If anything, the quaint feel of a fake letter scam may lend it an air of legitimacy, especially with the older demographic that\u2019s typically targeted in Social Security scams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phone scams and online scams have become prevalent, in large part, because they scale well.  Robo dialers and email servers can reach out to tens of thousands, or even millions, of potential victims each day at low cost.  Fraud by mail requires research (to get names and addresses), plus the cost of paper, printing, envelopes and postage.  More to the point, it requires time and patience, which criminals are often unwilling to invest.  Don\u2019t sell it short, though:  It\u2019s old-fashioned, but it\u2019s still effective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spotting Fake Letters From Social Security<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you receive a letter that appears to come from the Social Security Administration, but strikes you as dubious, give it a close look.  Start with the postmark on the envelope:  Was it mailed from the same city as the SSA office you ordinarily deal with?  Then look at the letter itself and ideally compare it with one you\u2019ve previously received from the SSA.  Are the formatting and the typefaces identical?  Does this new letter show the same logo, and the same footer at the bottom of the document, as the previous one?  If any of those things are different, that could be a sign that your instincts are correct. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, look at the language of the document.  Real SSA letters strive for clear communication.  Scam letters are filled with impressive-sounding \u201cbureaucrat-ese,\u201d designed to confuse and often to intimidate.  Scam letters, like scam emails<\/a>, may also show oddly jarring spelling and grammatical errors or awkward phrasing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

WANT TO KNOW WHO EMAILED YOU?  TRY A REVERSE EMAIL SEARCH! <\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, look at the content.  If the writer is asking for (or demanding!) immediate payment, or requesting your personal information<\/a>, you can automatically assume it\u2019s a scam<\/a>.  The SSA doesn\u2019t do that<\/a>, and it especially doesn\u2019t ask for payment in the form of gift cards or a wire transfer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What To Do if You Receive Fake Letters From Social Security<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you believe you\u2019ve received a scam Social Security letter, don\u2019t use any of the contact information given in the letter.  Instead, report your letter at the website of the SSA\u2019s Office of the Inspector General<\/a>, or \u2014 if you\u2019re more comfortable with phoning \u2014 call them at 1-800-269-0271.  You should also report the letter to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service<\/a>, so they can attempt to trace the scammers from their end.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have already sent money \u2014 or given out your SSN or other personal information \u2014 in response to one of these letters, you should report the incident to your local law enforcement agency and IdentityTheft.gov<\/a> as well.  It might also be a good idea to contact each of the three major credit reporting bureaus and have them place a credit freeze or extended fraud alert<\/a> on your account.  It will be mildly inconvenient (you\u2019ll need to contact the credit bureau and have it temporarily lifted, should you need to apply for credit) but it can potentially save you a lot<\/em> of money and trouble. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing Social Security Scams<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cImposter\u201d scams, where scammers pretend to be from the Social Security Administration, account for a large and growing percentage of overall fraud.  Reports of this type of fraud<\/a> rose from just over 15,000 in 2018 to over 478,000 in 2019 and well over 700,000 in 2020.  Losses rose in lockstep with the number of complaints, reaching a total of nearly $45 million in 2020. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those numbers are genuinely shocking, and it makes sense to protect yourself to the best of your ability.  So how should you do that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Protecting Yourself from Social Security Scams<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first step is to stay informed about current scams and how they work.  The AARP\u2019s Scams and Fraud<\/a> page is a good starting point and so is the FTC\u2019s Scams page<\/a>.  The SSA\u2019s own Scam Prevention and Reporting Page<\/a> is an excellent resource as well, and includes specific steps you can take to add security to your SSA account. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most important protection you can have is a healthy degree of skepticism.  However plausible the \u201cpitch\u201d might be, the SSA won\u2019t contact you this way for personal information or payment.  Any letter, email, text or phone call that tries to rush you into taking immediate action is most likely a scam.  If in doubt, have a trusted friend or family member review the letter for you.  Chances are, they\u2019ll agree it\u2019s bogus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

References: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n