Be Weary of Social Security Benefit Scams | Michigan Elder Law ...

There is a new scam that targets seniors and the disabled. Identity thieves are fraudulently rerouting Social Security benefits to their own bank accounts and prepaid debit cards. After acquiring the necessary personal information, full name and account number, the identity thieves contact the Social Security Administration and request that payments be rerouted to their own accounts.

Sixty-four-year-old William Combs, a disabled Vietnam War veteran from Brookville, Ohio, knows all too well about the risk of identity theft. Combs said identity thieves have now stolen his tax refund, two month?s worth of Veteran?s disability benefits and most recently, one of his Social Security payments. He immediately alerted each agency to report his missing payments, and has since received his tax refund, but he is yet to receive the $5,400 in Veteran?s disability payments that were rerouted earlier this year. On the verge of being kicked out by his landlady, Combs had went an entire month living on peanut butter and crackers, before taking a loan from a credit union to pay rent one month, and borrow money from his daughter to pay the others. Combs was in tears when his last resort was to ask his daughter for money for his rent.

The Social Security Administration said it can?t comment on or verify individual cases.

According to Patrick O?Carroll, Inspector General of the Social Security Administration, this scam has emerged while the Social Security Administration is actively urging all beneficiaries to switch to direct deposit to meet a new regulation that will require the agency to seize paper checks.

Often seniors falling victim to lottery scams that ask victims for their personal information and bank account details in order to claim big prizes see their payments rerouted to prepaid cards. Because of the anonymity of prepaid cards, and the difficulty tracing them, they are especially attractive for identity thieves.

Be wary of any calls or emails from people inquiring about your personal information. Also, you can inform the agency that no changes may be made to your account unless you appear in person with sufficient ID by visiting here.

If it?s been three or four days and you still haven?t received your benefit payment or you receive a letter confirming a change to your direct deposit information that you didn?t authorize, take immediate action.

Anyone who believes they are victims of fraud should contact the inspector general. ?

Read More: http://money.cnn.com/2012/09/26/pf/seniors-social-security-scam/?source=cnn_bin

Attorney Christopher J. Berry is a Metro Detroit estate planning and elder law lawyer who helps families, seniors, veterans and business owners with their important legal needs. Oakland County estate planning lawyer, Christopher Berry is a partner in the Bloomfield Hills law firm of Witzke Berry PLLC. Mr. Berry practices in the areas of estate planning, business, probate, veterans benefits & Medicaid planning. Follow Christopher on Twitter @chrisberryesq

Source: http://michiganelderlawcenter.com/be-weary-of-social-security-benefit-scams/

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