The Social Security Administration (SSA) has rolled out “enhanced technology” to detect suspicious activity in telephone claims or banking changes. The new technology will strengthen identification verification, preventing fraud.
The SSA had initially planned to roll out new identity proofing policies in March, but pushback from beneficiaries and advocates delayed it. The policies have gone through two changes so far. So, what are these ID proofing policy changes, and how will they affect you?
Fraudulent Phone Callers Stole Benefits
Previously, Social Security recipients could call the toll-free number to change their direct deposit bank information. But there’s a problem with using the phone. According to the
SSA, approximately 40 percent of direct deposit fraud was due to someone calling the SSA to change banking information. And although SSA employees asked questions to verify identity, many thieves successfully stole people’s funds by diverting the benefits to other bank accounts or even Visa cards.
