You may be familiar with SSA.Gov and have your MySSA Account established. Did you know SSA also is on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube?  They have even established a Blog where you can post your questions. With all the available technology, is your personal information more at risk? Reality is that fraud and abuse happen every day.  Here’s some tips to follow:

1. Never say your Social Security Number out loud or carry your card in your wallet.

2. Do not believe calls, emails, or texts that you need to pay a fee or take other actions to resolve an issue with the government. Stay updated on current fraud scams by viewing OIG.SSA.GOV/Newsroom.

3. Never give out your personal information and shred any documents that have your personal information on it.

4.  Be sure you have updated anti-virus software, complex passwords, and don’t share your password with anyone. 

5. Be sure to review your credit report regularly. 

If you haven’t established a MySSA Account by now, please consider establishing one.  This protects your SSA information from others attempting to impersonate you. If you don’t want to utilize the services, you can request SSA deactivate your account so no online business can be processed. 

Maryellen Eckert

SSA Specialist