Social Security direct deposit - Need to change bank accounts ASAP after scam! Help!

so sorry this hapened to your mom... my aunt went thru similar last year :( unfortunately you cant do direct deposit changes online right now... SSA disabled that feature for security reasons. you need to either call them or go in person. try calling VERY EARLY when they open, like 9:01am. or try at like 3pm sometimes less busy then.

I work at a financial institution and handle these cases regularly. Your mother needs to: 1. Close her current account and open a new one immediately (don't just change account numbers at the same bank - they should issue completely new account numbers) 2. Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 as soon as possible to change her direct deposit information. Have her new account information ready. 3. File a police report about the scam for documentation purposes. 4. Contact the gift card companies directly - some have fraud departments that can sometimes freeze funds if they haven't been spent. Changes to direct deposit usually take effect within 1-3 business days after SSA processes them, but the key is getting through to them quickly. If you wait until the last minute, you risk the payment going to the old account.

I had to change my direct deposit last year when my credit union changed their routing numbers. I used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to SSA quickly - they charged a fee but got me connected to an agent in about 15 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They've got a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU Once I actually got through to a person, the change was processed quickly and my next payment went to the new account without issues. Given your mom's situation, it might be worth it to avoid the typical 2+ hour wait times.

EXACTLY the same thing happened to my husband!!! Those scammers are EVERYWHERE!! We lost $5200 in gift cards to Target and Amazon! I went to the SSA office in person the next day and they were actually very helpful - they flagged his account for potential identity theft and changed the direct deposit info right there. BUT it STILL took until the NEXT payment cycle to take effect. So if your mom's payment is coming in 10 days, you might not get the change in time. Maybe have your mom go to her bank and see if they can put some kind of temporary fraud alert or hold on the account? That way if the SS payment does go there, at least the scammers can't get to it?

There's a critical distinction to be aware of regarding Social Security payments and compromised accounts. If your mother's account was truly compromised (meaning someone gained unauthorized access), that's different from her being scammed into willingly withdrawing money and purchasing gift cards. From SSA's perspective, her account isn't necessarily "compromised" in the technical sense. The account itself may still be secure, but she was manipulated into removing funds. However, since scammers now have her account information, it's absolutely correct to change it. You should: 1. Have your mother visit her local SSA office in person with ID and her new account information. This is the fastest way to process a direct deposit change. 2. File Form SSA-1199 (Direct Deposit Sign-Up Form) while there. 3. Request an "immediate critical payment change" due to fraud concerns. 4. Follow up by phone 48 hours later to confirm the change has been processed. If the change isn't processed in time for her next payment, contact the bank immediately to have them place a hold on those funds or redirect them to her new account.

my grandma got scammed to by someone pretending to be from SSA!!!! they said her number was used for drug trafficking in texas lol. she almost fell for it but thank god i was there. these people target seniors because they get confused easily. your mom needs to freeze her credit reports RIGHT NOW at all 3 bureaus and put a fraud alert on. and if she has medicare make sure nobodys using her number for fake medical claims thats huge now to

can she still have a friend go with her to the office on her behalf ? thats what i did for my brother he had a stroke and couldnt go to ss office so i took his id and they let me handle it

btw dont feel bad my dad fell for a simillar scam last year... these scammers are GOOD at what they do. they know exactly what to say to scare seniors. they stay on the phone so the person cant call family to check. and they create fake urgency so people dont think straight. its not your moms fault!!!

I'm so sorry your mom went through this - these scams are absolutely heartbreaking and unfortunately very common. A few additional thoughts that might help: 1. Contact the fraud departments at Nordstrom Rack and Lowe's directly with the gift card numbers. While recovery is rare, some retailers can flag suspicious activity patterns and occasionally freeze unused balances. 2. Consider having your mom sign up for AARP's fraud prevention alerts or similar services - they send warnings about current scam tactics targeting seniors. 3. If the direct deposit change doesn't process in time, you can also ask SSA to temporarily stop direct deposit and issue a paper check to her new address instead. This might be faster than waiting for the bank routing to update. 4. Document everything with timestamps - police report numbers, SSA confirmation numbers, bank representative names. This creates a paper trail that's crucial if any other issues arise. The most important thing is that your mom is safe and you're taking action quickly. These scammers rely on shame and secrecy to keep victims from getting help, so you're already doing exactly the right thing by reaching out and taking immediate steps.

I'm really sorry to hear about what happened to your mother - these phone scams targeting seniors are unfortunately becoming more sophisticated every day. One thing that might help speed up the process: if your mom has any difficulty getting through to SSA by phone, she can also try calling her local SSA field office directly instead of the national number. The local office lines are sometimes less busy than 1-800-772-1213. You can find her local office number on the SSA website using her zip code. Also, since you mentioned she has mobility issues, many SSA offices offer priority service for elderly clients or those with disabilities. When she calls or visits, make sure to mention that she's 74 and that this is an urgent fraud-related situation - they may be able to expedite her case. If all else fails and the payment does go to the old account, don't panic. Banks are required to cooperate with Social Security payment redirections in fraud cases, so even if there's a delay, the funds can usually be recovered and redirected to her new account. Keep documenting everything and stay strong - you're handling this exactly right by acting quickly!