Social Security email with 'check updated statement' link not working - COLA update scam?

STOP CLICKING THAT LINK IMMEDIATELY! SSA doesn't send emails with links asking you to check statements. This is 100% a phishing scam trying to steal your MySocialSecurity login or personal info. The real way to check your statement is to go directly to ssa.gov and log into your account. Never click links in emails claiming to be from Social Security!

got the same thing yesterday, deleted it right away. social security only sends me texts when i set up 2factor authentication, never emails with links.

This is definitely a phishing attempt. The Social Security Administration has a very specific policy about electronic communications. They will send emails for certain limited purposes, but they will NEVER include links to log in to your account or to view statements. The official guidance is: 1. Go directly to ssa.gov by typing it in your browser (don't use links) 2. If you clicked the link, change your MySocialSecurity password immediately 3. Consider checking your credit reports and placing a fraud alert 4. Report the phishing attempt to the SSA's Office of the Inspector General at oig.ssa.gov The actual 2025 COLA announcement will appear on your MySocialSecurity account dashboard when you log in directly through the official site, and physical notices are typically mailed in December.

I get these CONSTANTLY and they make me SO ANGRY!!! My mother almost fell for one last month - she's 84 and these CRIMINALS nearly got her information. She clicked the link and it looked EXACTLY like the real Social Security website. The only difference was the URL had a tiny misspelling. REPORT IT to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and to the SSA fraud department!!!!

I got something similar but mine had all kinds of spelling errors lol. Said I was getting an "adjustment of benfits" and I needed to "verify identity for security reason." Like come on, at least try to make it convincing?

I work with seniors at our community center and we've seen a huge uptick in these Social Security phishing attempts recently. They're specifically targeting the COLA announcement period because they know beneficiaries are eagerly checking for updates. For everyone here: The official COLA for 2025 will be announced in mid-October 2024 (usually around the 12th-15th), and you'll get official notification through your my Social Security account (when you log in directly at ssa.gov) or by mail in December. If you need to speak with an actual SSA representative about suspicious communications or to verify information about your benefits, you might want to try Claimyr (claimyr.com). They have a service that helps you get through to a live Social Security agent without waiting on hold for hours. They have a video demo at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU showing how it works. Several seniors at our center have used it when they were concerned about potential fraud issues.

my sister in law got one of these and clicked on it. now she's getting like 30 spam calls a day and her identity was stolen. they opened 3 credit cards in her name and she's spent months trying to fix it. DO NOT CLICK THESE LINKS EVER!!!!

If you already clicked the link, aside from changing your password, I'd suggest: 1. Set up two-factor authentication on your my Social Security account immediately if you haven't already 2. Put a free fraud alert on your credit reports with all three bureaus 3. Consider freezing your credit if you're really concerned 4. Monitor your bank and credit card accounts for suspicious activity 5. Be on high alert for follow-up scams - sometimes the first phishing attempt is just to identify active targets The SSA will never email you asking for personal information or to click links to check statements. The real 2025 COLA announcement will come through official channels only.

happens every year around cola time, scammers know people are anxious about increases. delete and move on.

To answer your question about COLA timing: The official 2025 COLA will be announced in mid-October 2024 when the September 2024 CPI-W data is released. The increase (if any) will be applied to benefits beginning January 2025. You'll receive an official notice by mail in December 2024, and it will also appear in your my Social Security account in December if you have one set up. Based on current inflation trends, analysts are projecting a COLA between 2.5-3.1% for 2025, but that's just an estimate until the official announcement in October.

As someone new to Social Security benefits, this is really eye-opening and scary! I had no idea these phishing scams were so common. Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences and the detailed advice about protecting ourselves. I'm definitely going to bookmark this thread and share it with my parents who are also on SS. It's amazing how these scammers target people during COLA announcement periods when we're all naturally more anxious about our benefits. I'll make sure to only ever go directly to ssa.gov and never click email links. Stay safe everyone!