‘Do I need a lawyer?’ cries Social Security user being told she was overpaid $3,000 – others warn to verify the letter | I01SE7I | 2024-05-05 17:08:01
'Do I need a lawyer?' cries Social Security user being told she was overpaid $3,000 – others warn to verify the letter | I01SE7I | 2024-05-05 17:08:01
A WORRIED Social Security beneficiary has been told that she was being overpaid $3,000.
She made a post in a community Facebook group about her situation, hoping to get some advice.
User Stephanie Barrows shared a post on Facebook, detailing a letter she received from the Social Security Administration (SSA).
"I received a Social Security overpayment letter that [sic] says they overpaid me over 3k in May of 2020, what in the world does this mean?" she asked.
"Do I need a lawyer?" Stephanie added.
In reaction to her post in the Facebook group, many other members replied, matching Stephanie's concern or warning her to double-check whether the letter, in fact, came from the SSA.
"The first question I have is did they?" one person questioned. "If so why did you not contact them immediately? You should know what you are supposed to get each payment. If you did not get overpaid then you may need to look into representation."
"Did they explain why?" another commented. "They will take it out of your check they will let you know when and how much."
To this, Stephanie replied, "No and when I call they hang up on me."
"Double check the phone number, then try calling," a third person warned.
AVOIDING SCAMS
The Social Security Administration advises Americans to steer clear of fraudulent calls and internet "phishing" schemes by refraining from disclosing personal information, clicking on suspicious links, or opening dubious attachments.
The agency emphasizes that most emails from Social Security will originate from a ".gov" email address.
<!-- End of Brightcove Player --> In cases where an email address lacks the ".gov" suffix, caution should be exercised before accessing attachments or clicking on images or links.
For further guidance on safeguarding personal information and online accounts, individuals are encouraged to visit the administration's security webpage.
Should there be suspicion regarding the authenticity of an email received from the Social Security Administration, it is advised to refrain from responding or clicking on any links within the message.
In such instances, the SSA recommends reporting the email by forwarding it to the US Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) at phishing-report@us-cert.gov.
In 2021 alone, there were over 568,000 reports of Social Security-related scam attempts, resulting in victims' losses exceeding $63.6 million, according to the agency.
Government officials suggest that many more incidents may go unreported due to feelings of shame or embarrassment.
Scammers frequently resort to tactics such as threatening arrest if a supposed fee or fine is not paid.
Additionally, they may employ fabricated government badges, false identification numbers, and counterfeit Social Security Administration letterhead in their correspondence.
"The Social Security Administration will never tell someone to wire money, buy gift cards or pay with cryptocurrency," said Gail Ennis, inspector general at the Social Security Administration.
"If anyone does ask you that, you know it's a scam."
OVERPAYMENT SCARES
In other overpayment charges, a citizen with disabilities disclosed that a minor error could have resulted in an overpayment from Social Security.
An anxious American found themselves in a frantic search for assistance after being asked by Social Security to immediately repay $45,000.
"Can someone help? I just received a letter from Disability saying I am no longer eligible for disability as of August 2020 due to substantial gainful work," they wrote on Facebook.
The individual, who preferred to maintain anonymity, disclosed their disability status dating back to 1998.
</div> </div> Over the past 20 years, they have experienced inconsistent employment due to health concerns.
However, they suspect that a particular job may have prompted Social Security to request repayment of funds.
"In 2020 I was employed for a total of 14 months. However, I WORKED 4 months of those 18 months and received a statutory sick pack for 12 of the 18 months I worked there (during COVID)," they said.
"It was a work-from-home position and they fired me rather than give me the reasonable adjustments I requested, we are currently in a legal battle over this."
Due to participating in "12 months of work over a 25 year period," they believe they are at risk of losing their benefits.
In other Social Security news, a beneficiary was told she only had 30 days to repay over $5,000 or her benefits would be cut off.
And a couple experienced a sense of "sheer panic" upon receiving a letter notifying them that they owed $84,000 to the SSA.
More >> https://ift.tt/ne8Amqu Source: MAG NEWS
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