Social Security identity theft alert - someone filed disability claim using my account!

This is unfortunately becoming more common. You did exactly the right thing by calling right away. I would recommend taking these additional steps: 1. Set up your own my Social Security account if you haven't already 2. Add extra security like multi-factor authentication 3. Check your credit reports for any other suspicious activity 4. File a report with the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov 5. Consider placing a fraud alert on your credit files SSA has an entire fraud department that handles these cases. You might want to specifically ask them to note in your file that any future applications should trigger additional verification.

omg that happened to my cousin last year!!!! someone tried to get survivors benefits when her husband wasnt even dead!!! its crazy how much of this is going on now. do they even check anything????

I work with Social Security cases professionally, and I'm seeing this type of fraud attempt increasing dramatically in 2025. What likely happened is someone obtained your SSN and basic information, then tried to file for disability benefits hoping to receive payments before you noticed. Besides the excellent advice already given, I would recommend requesting an earnings statement from SSA to verify no one has been reporting wages under your number. Also consider freezing your credit at all three bureaus, not just placing a fraud alert. The good news is that actually receiving benefits requires significant documentation, medical evidence, and often interviews - so the chances of a fraudster successfully collecting disability payments in your name is quite low. Still, the attempt itself indicates your personal information has been compromised somewhere.

I had a similar situation happen about 3 months ago but with retirement benefits. Spent DAYS trying to reach someone at Social Security. Kept calling that 800 number and either got disconnected or was on hold for hours. So frustrating!!! When I finally got through, they were helpful but the whole experience was awful. If anyone else is dealing with this and struggling to reach SSA, I discovered a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to a representative in under 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - totally worth it when you're dealing with something as serious as identity theft. Good luck!

YOU BETTER GET A POLICE REPORT NOW!!! This happened to my neighbor and they stole her whole tax refund the next year because they had her ssn. The social security people wont do ANYTHING to help you after the fact, trust me!!!

make sure they noteed your file properly. i called about something similar last year and they said they took care of it but then i got another letter 2 months later about a claim i never filed. had to go through the whole thing again. ask for a confirmation number or someting in writing that shows they flagged your account

I want to emphasize that you should call the Social Security Fraud Hotline directly at 1-800-269-0271. The regular SSA representatives might not fully document your case for the fraud department. When you call the fraud line, they'll create a formal report and provide you with a case number. Also, be sure to notify the credit bureaus separately - Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion all need to have individual fraud alerts placed. A freeze is even better as the previous commenter suggested. Identity theft related to government benefits has become one of the fastest-growing types of fraud since the pandemic. The SSA is working to strengthen their verification processes, but it's still essential to remain vigilant about protecting your information.

does anyone know if this happens if u dont have a my social security account? my mom doesnt do computers but im worried someone could do this to her too

Update: I called the fraud hotline and filed a formal report. They gave me a case number and are sending written confirmation. I've also placed freezes with all three credit bureaus and filed the FTC report. Still waiting to hear if they can tell me how someone got my information in the first place, but at least I feel like I've taken steps to protect myself. Thanks again to everyone for the advice - this community has been incredibly helpful during a stressful situation!

I'm so sorry this happened to you! As someone who works in cybersecurity, I can tell you that Social Security fraud attempts have absolutely skyrocketed in recent years. You handled this perfectly by calling immediately and not ignoring that suspicious email. One additional step I'd recommend is requesting your Social Security Statement (Form SSA-7005) to verify that no unauthorized earnings have been reported under your SSN. You can do this through your mySocialSecurity account or by calling SSA. Also, consider signing up for credit monitoring services if you haven't already - many are free and will alert you to any new accounts or inquiries. Some banks and credit cards also offer identity theft protection services to their customers. The fact that you caught this so quickly is huge. Most fraudsters rely on people not noticing these things for weeks or months. You've likely prevented a much bigger headache down the road!