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Last month, I got an email with the subject, “Reminder: SSA Cancellation Letter.” It states that my Social Security number was suspended due to unauthorized activity in Texas. The case was “referred to the Department of Justice for prosecution of money laundering, theft by deception and drug trafficking.” The Department of Marshals had visited my home. (Read the full message here.)

Legal action, prosecution, Marshal visits – certainly all reasons to panic but I knew better. Fraudulent messages include threats in order to create panic and a sense of urgency. Here are a few more giveaways that this message is a sham.

• It does not mention my name and was not sent to the email I have listed in my Social Security account.
• The first sentence, “This consider this an official advise issued …,” is poorly written.
• The letter says my Social Security number may be suspended in the next 24 hours but the next sentence says it has already been suspended.
• The message included links to click, which I didn’t.
• The phone numbers are wrong. Social Security’s number is (800) 772-1213. Office of the Inspector General has more than one but the number listed didn’t appear in any searches.
• And the biggest giveaway: The sender’s email showed the message was not from Social Security. There was no attempt to disguise or hide the sender because it, too, is fake.

A Routine Message about SSA Statements

Unlike the first message that has so many blatant signs of a scam, the second email is more polished. (Find that here.) It is well designed and laid out, and does not contain grammatical mistakes. It identifies what’s new in my statement, includes information about the cost-of-living adjustment, and even lists actions that Social Security will never take.

The email message contained two links – one to view the recent statement and a second to calculate my benefit amount – not very conspicuous or suspicious and just waiting to be clicked.

However, there was one hallmark of a fraudulent message – the email address. It notes the SSA benefit office; however, hovering over that revealed the true sender: noreply468oFtgYVYPXrojVQqUqDUtG047YhdfuU@contatorapido.com.br.

What You Can Do

If you receive an email that appears to be from Social Security, remember these tips.

• Reveal the sender’s actual email by hovering over it or clicking on it.
• Look for bad grammar, spelling or punctuation, or websites that do not end in “.gov.”
• Do not click on any links in suspicious messages. Instead, find your own links. For example, your most recent Social Security statement is in your my Social Security account. You can also estimate your benefits with the Social Security benefit calculator.
• Likewise, don’t click on links for agencies or companies. Do a web search to find the correct link.
• Know that Social Security will never demand immediate payment, ask for personal information (like your SSA or bank account numbers) or threaten suspension of your account via email.
• Check the Social Security website for more ways to protect yourself from scams and how to report or handle a serious issue.

The Federal Trade Commission reported a growing wave of scams, targeting seniors’ life savings, that appear to be from trusted government agencies and companies. The number of older adults who lost $10,000 or more to scams increased over fourfold from 2020 to 2024. Only you can protect you. Be vigilant, suspicious and diligent when receiving any messages that purport to be from any government office, especially if they’re interested in your money. And above all, never panic.