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YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY | Rock Island, Illinois Office

By Cristina Vital
Social Security Manager
Rock Island Social Security Office

SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICES EXPAND IN-PERSON SERVICE

Starting in early April, Social Security offices will add more in-person appointments and offer in-person service for people without an appointment. As we prepare to help more people in person at local Social Security offices throughout the country, we would like to let the public know what to expect.
During the pandemic, millions of people used our secure and convenient online services and received help by phone and in our offices by appointment. For people who can access our services online or by phone, we ask that they continue to do business with us online or by phone and schedule an appointment, when possible, which will better allow us to timely serve people who cannot use those options.

Please visit our webpage How to Get Help from Social Security to learn:

• The best ways to get help from Social Security.
• What you should know before you visit a Social Security office, so we can help you safely.
• Innovative options that could help you have your hearing sooner if you are appealing a decision.

We are committed to helping as many people as possible as safely as possible. Thank you for your support.

SLAM THE SCAM

The Social Security Administration and the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) are partnering to raise public awareness about Social Security imposter scams. Social Security scams – where fraudsters attempt to mislead victims into making cash or gift card payments to fix purported Social Security number problems or to avoid arrest – are an ongoing government imposter fraud scheme. For several years, Social Security impersonation scams have been one of the most common government imposter scams reported to the Federal Trade Commission. Social Security has made concerted efforts to address this issue, and extensive outreach and investigative efforts are having a positive impact, decreasing scam reports to OIG by more than 20 percent since 2020.

“I am proud of the work we have done to combat Social Security imposter scams, yet I remain deeply concerned that fraudsters continue trying to deceive people into providing personal information or money,” said Acting Social Security Commissioner Kilolo Kijakazi. “Above all, I urge people to remain alert, hang up if a scammer calls, and ignore their attempts if you receive a suspicious email, text, or letter.”

Criminals are sophisticated and there are many variations of this fraud scheme. For example, scammers may call or email saying they are from Social Security and that the person’s Social Security number is suspended or was used in a crime. The caller identification may be spoofed to appear as a legitimate government number. They may text or email fake documents in attempts to coerce people to comply with their demands. Another common tactic is citing “badge numbers.” In the latest development involving Social Security-related scams, criminals are using fraudulent Social Security letterhead to target individuals for money or personal information.

Social Security will never tell you that your Social Security number is suspended, contact you to demand an immediate payment, threaten you with arrest, ask for your credit or debit card numbers over the phone, ask for gift cards or cash, or promise a Social Security benefit approval or increase in exchange for information or money.

“As we continue working with our law enforcement partners and partners from the private sector to combat these sinister schemes, I urge consumers to simply hang up the phone, or delete suspicious texts and emails, without responding to the scammers,” Social Security Inspector General Gail Ennis said. “That is the easiest and most effective way to avoid falling prey to these vicious scams.”

Social Security employees do occasionally contact the public by telephone for business purposes. Ordinarily, the agency calls people who have recently applied for a Social Security benefit, someone who is already receiving payments and requires an update to their record, or a person who has requested a phone call from the agency.

If there is a problem with a person’s Social Security number or record, Social Security will typically mail a letter.

To report a scam attempt, go to oig.ssa.gov. For more information, please visit www.socialsecurity.gov/scam and www.socialsecurity.gov/antifraudfacts/.

PLAN FOR YOUR FUTURE DURING FINANCIAL LITERACY MONTH

Financial Literacy Month is focused on educating people about the importance of planning for a secure financial future. Every April, we like to remind you that Social Security is a vital part of any financial plan. We have online tools to help you understand your potential Social Security benefits and how they fit into your financial future.
You should periodically review your Social Security Statement using your personal my Social Security account at www.ssa.gov/myaccount. Your Statement is an easy-to-read summary of the estimated benefits you and your family
could receive, including potential retirement, disability, and survivors benefits.

Our Plan for Retirement tool in your personal my Social Security account allows you to check various benefit estimate scenarios. You can compare the effect different future earnings and retirement benefit start dates have on your future benefit amount.

Please let friends and family know they can take steps to improve their financial knowledge by signing in to their secure my Social Security account. If they don’t have an account, they can easily create one at www.ssa.gov/myaccount.