By an edhat reader
A scam letter is being received in Santa Barbara County from “J.S. Brown of the Benefits Suspension Unit.” If you check the internet you’ll see this is a scam being sent all over the country. There is a look-a-like government seal on the address side. It’s all a scam.
Below is a statement from the Social Security Administration this past March:
The Inspector General of Social Security, Gail S. Ennis, is warning the public about fraudulent letters threatening suspension of Social Security benefits due to COVID-19 or coronavirus-related office closures. The Social Security Administration (SSA) will not suspend or discontinue benefits because their offices are closed.
The Social Security Office of the Inspector General has received reports that Social Security beneficiaries have received letters through the U.S. Mail stating their payments will be suspended or discontinued unless they call a phone number referenced in the letter. Scammers may then mislead beneficiaries into providing personal information or payment via retail gift cards, wire transfers, internet currency, or by mailing cash, to maintain regular benefit payments during this period of COVID-19 office closures.
As of Tuesday, March 17, 2020, local SSA offices are closed to the public due to COVID-19 concerns; however, Social Security employees continue to work. Social Security will not suspend or decrease Social Security benefit payments or Supplemental Security Income payments due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Any communication you receive that says SSA will do so is a scam, whether you receive it by letter, text, email, or phone call.
Social Security will never:
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threaten you with benefit suspension, arrest, or other legal action unless you pay a fine or fee;
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promise a benefit increase or other assistance in exchange for payment;
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require payment by retail gift card, cash, wire transfer, internet currency, or prepaid debit card;
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demand secrecy from you in handling a Social Security-related problem; or
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send official letters or reports containing personally identifiable information via email.
If you receive a letter, text, call or email that you believe to be suspicious, about an alleged problem with your Social Security number, account, or payments, hang up or do not respond. We encourage you to report Social Security scams using our dedicated online form, at https://oig.ssa.gov. Please share this information with your friends and family, to help spread awareness about Social Security scams.
Anonymous
I keep getting voicemails and calls from what sounds like a call center in India telling me I need to go to federal court in Texas for Social Security fraud. Almost believed it, Trump would probably outsource federal law enforcement if he could.
Chillin, Trump is bringing jobs back home. One of his primary 2016 promises made and promises kept. Time for you to get your news from another channel because you missed by a mile on that one.