Social Security sending appointment confirmation emails I never requested - scam alert?

THIS IS 100% A SCAM!!!! The SSA NEVER initiates contact by email for appointments. They always call or send official mail through USPS. I got something similar last year after I turned 65 and enrolled in Medicare. They're trying to get your personal info to steal your identity or Social Security number. Don't click ANY links, don't reply, just delete it and block the sender. These scammers are getting more sophisticated every day.

Thanks for confirming my suspicions! I didn't click anything, thankfully. Do you think I should report it somewhere? Or just delete and move on?

Actually, SSA has started using email for some communications, but only if YOU signed up for it first through your my Social Security account. Did you by chance create an online account recently when you signed up for Medicare? Sometimes when you create the account, there's a checkbox for communication preferences that people don't notice. But if you never set up email communications, then yes, it's most likely a scam. The genuine SSA emails will never ask you to send personal information or click on strange links.

I did create a mySocialSecurity account when I signed up for Medicare, but I'm almost positive I didn't check any boxes for email communications. I'm usually pretty careful about those things. I'll log into my account and check my communication preferences to be sure though.

i got one of those emails too!!!! mine was about disability benefits which i never applied for. i called my daughter and she said just delete it dont click anything. these people are getting so good at making fake emails look real its scary

Same!! But mine was about retirement benefits review or something. Deleted it right away.

You should forward the email to the SSA's fraud department at oig.ssa.gov/report and also report it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The SSA is actively tracking these phishing attempts to protect other beneficiaries.Important: If you ever have questions about communications claiming to be from SSA, you can call their main number (1-800-772-1213) to verify. But be prepared for extremely long wait times - sometimes hours. When I needed to verify something last month, I waited 2.5 hours before giving up.

Good luck getting through to SSA on that number! I literally tried for days and kept getting disconnected after waiting 45+ minutes each time. I finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an agent in under 10 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puUTotally worth it to actually talk to a real person and confirm whether communications are legitimate. The agent told me they're seeing a huge increase in these fake appointment emails.

These scams targeting Medicare enrollees have increased significantly in the past year. Here's how to identify legitimate SSA communications:1. The SSA primarily uses postal mail for official notices2. If you receive an email, check if it's from a .gov address (but note that scammers can spoof these)3. Legitimate SSA emails will never ask for your SSN, banking information, or passwords4. The SSA won't threaten you with benefit suspension for not providing information via email5. Any legitimate appointment would be scheduled by you first, then confirmed by phone or mailOne key thing to check: what email address did it come from exactly? Even if it looks like ssa.gov, check if there are any misspellings or extra characters.

Thank you for this detailed breakdown! The email came from appointments@ssa-services.gov which now that I look more closely is NOT the same as ssa.gov. Good catch! I'll make sure to report this to the fraud department.

my son says theres also a new scam where they call you pretending to be from social security and say theres a problem with ur benefits even if u dont get any yet!!! they try to scare old people its so mean

YES! My neighbor fell for one of those calls last month! They told her her SSN was

Just to follow up on the legitimate communications from SSA - they have been modernizing their systems and now do offer secure messaging through the my Social Security portal. However, these messages appear when you log into your account, not as emails with links. Any legitimate appointment would have been requested by you first, either by phone, in office, or through the scheduling tool on SSA.gov.If you're approaching retirement age, I'd recommend regularly checking your my Social Security account anyway. You can verify your earnings record and get estimates of your future benefits. Much better than clicking links in suspicious emails!

That's good advice. I set up the account but haven't really used it much since then. I should be more proactive about checking it, especially as I get closer to claiming retirement benefits. I appreciate everyone's help with this!

I'm glad you caught this before clicking anything! As someone who works with seniors on financial security issues, I see these Medicare/SSA phishing attempts constantly. The scammers specifically target people who recently enrolled in Medicare because they know you've been interacting with government systems and might be less suspicious of official-looking emails. A few additional red flags to watch for: legitimate SSA appointment confirmations would reference specific details you provided when scheduling (like the reason for your visit), and they'd include your case number or reference number that matches your official SSA correspondence. The fake ones are usually generic. Also, if you ever do need to schedule a real SSA appointment, you can do it online through ssa.gov or call the local office directly - never through email links. Stay vigilant!

This is such an important warning! I've been getting Medicare calls lately (I'm 64 and will be eligible soon) and now I'm wondering if I should expect these fake SSA emails too. It's really disturbing how they're targeting people our age who are navigating these systems for the first time. One thing that might help others - I use a separate email address just for government-related accounts (Medicare, SSA, etc.) and keep my main personal email separate. That way if I get a "government" email in my regular inbox, I know it's automatically suspicious. Has anyone else noticed if these scams increase around certain times of year? I'm wondering if they ramp up during Medicare open enrollment periods when more people are creating accounts.

Great discussion everyone! As someone who just went through the Medicare enrollment process myself, I can confirm these scams are definitely targeting our age group. I've gotten three fake SSA emails in the past month alone - all claiming I had appointments I never scheduled. One thing I learned from calling my local SSA office (after a 2-hour wait!) is that they're seeing a huge spike in these fake appointment emails specifically targeting new Medicare enrollees. The rep told me they NEVER send appointment confirmations by email unless you specifically opted into their secure messaging system AND you scheduled the appointment yourself first. For anyone still unsure about legitimate vs. fake communications: the real SSA will always include your specific case details and reference numbers that match your physical mail correspondence. The scam emails are always generic and vague about why you supposedly need the appointment. Stay safe out there - these scammers are getting more sophisticated every day!

This whole thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm 62 and starting to think about my retirement planning, so I haven't dealt with Medicare or SSA communications yet, but now I know what to watch out for. One thing that really strikes me is how these scammers are exploiting people during major life transitions when we're already stressed and dealing with unfamiliar processes. It's especially cruel that they're targeting folks who are just trying to navigate these government systems for the first time. I'm definitely going to implement that separate email strategy someone mentioned, and I'm bookmarking the fraud reporting websites that were shared. It sounds like being proactive about understanding how legitimate SSA communications work BEFORE you need them is really important. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - it's making me feel much more prepared to spot these scams when my time comes to deal with Social Security and Medicare!

This is such an important heads up! I'm 63 and just starting to get familiar with all these government systems, so I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences. The fake appointment email scam is particularly insidious because it creates that panic of "did I forget something important?" What's really helpful from this discussion is learning the specific red flags - like that fake domain "ssa-services.gov" instead of the real "ssa.gov" and the lack of specific case details that would be in legitimate communications. I'm definitely going to check my communication preferences in my SSA account and set up that separate email for government-related accounts. It's disturbing how sophisticated these scammers have become, especially targeting people during Medicare enrollment when we're already navigating so many new processes. The timing aspect that others mentioned makes total sense - they know when we're most likely to be expecting legitimate government communications. Thanks for the reminder to report these to the fraud departments too. Even if we don't fall for them, reporting helps protect others who might be less tech-savvy or more trusting of official-looking emails.

I'm 61 and getting really nervous about what to expect as I approach Medicare age after reading all of this! It sounds like these scammers have a whole playbook for targeting people in our situation. One question - for those who have been through the Medicare enrollment process, are there any other types of fake government communications I should be watching out for besides the fake appointment emails? I want to be prepared for whatever these scammers might throw at me when my time comes. Also, I'm curious about the legitimate appointment scheduling process - if I ever DO need to schedule an actual SSA appointment, what's the safest way to do it? Should I only call the local office directly, or is the online scheduling through ssa.gov actually secure? I'd rather know the right way to do it now so I don't accidentally fall for a fake scheduling link later. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences - this thread is like a masterclass in avoiding SSA scams!

I'm 59 and this discussion is incredibly eye-opening! I had no idea these appointment confirmation scams were so widespread. What really concerns me is how they're specifically targeting people during the Medicare enrollment process when we're most vulnerable and likely to be expecting legitimate government communications. I've been putting off creating my Social Security account, but after reading this thread I realize I need to set it up now while I'm not under pressure, so I can familiarize myself with how their legitimate communications actually work. The tip about keeping a separate email for government accounts is genius - I'm definitely implementing that. One thing I'm wondering about - do these scammers also target spouses? My husband and I are both approaching Medicare age, and I'm concerned they might send fake emails to both of us or try to use one spouse to get information about the other. Has anyone experienced that? Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed information about red flags and legitimate processes. This thread should be required reading for anyone approaching retirement age!

I'm 60 and this thread is absolutely invaluable! Reading about everyone's experiences with these Medicare/SSA scams is both alarming and incredibly helpful. What strikes me most is how sophisticated these scammers have become - that fake domain "ssa-services.gov" looks so close to the real thing that I probably would have missed it too. I love all the practical strategies being shared here: the separate government email, keeping physical folders of legitimate correspondence, and that brilliant idea of cross-checking with spouses before responding to any government communications. I'm implementing all of these right now! One additional tip I'd add based on my IT background - always hover over email links WITHOUT clicking to see where they actually lead. Real SSA links will show ssa.gov in the URL preview, while fake ones often reveal suspicious domains. Also, legitimate government emails will never create urgency with phrases like "immediate action required" or "benefits will be suspended." Thank you Lucas for posting this warning, and thanks to everyone who shared their experiences. This community is providing better scam education than any official government website I've seen. We need to keep looking out for each other as we navigate these transitions!

I'm 55 and this thread has been absolutely eye-opening! While I still have a decade before I need to worry about Medicare, I'm already seeing how these scammers are evolving their tactics. What really concerns me is that by the time I reach 65, they'll probably be even more sophisticated. I work in cybersecurity and deal with phishing attempts daily in the corporate world, but these government impersonation scams targeting seniors are particularly insidious because they exploit major life transitions when people are already stressed and dealing with unfamiliar systems. The timing element everyone mentioned - targeting people right after Medicare enrollment - shows just how calculated these attacks are. One thing I'd add from a security perspective: enable two-factor authentication on your my Social Security account if you haven't already. This adds an extra layer of protection even if scammers somehow get your login credentials. Also, consider using a password manager to generate unique passwords for all your government accounts. Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences. I'm definitely implementing the separate email strategy and starting a government communications folder now, before I actually need it. Better to be over-prepared than to become a victim when I'm navigating these systems for real in 10 years!

I'm 62 and this entire discussion has been incredibly valuable! What really stands out to me is how these scammers are creating a perfect storm - they're targeting us right when we're dealing with multiple new government systems (Medicare, SSA accounts, retirement planning) and our guard might be down because we're expecting legitimate communications. The detail about that fake domain "ssa-services.gov" vs the real "ssa.gov" is so important - it's exactly the kind of subtle difference that could easily slip past someone who's already overwhelmed with paperwork and appointments. I'm definitely going to be much more careful about checking sender addresses character by character. I love how this community is sharing such practical protective strategies. I'm implementing several of them right away: the separate government email account, enabling two-factor authentication on my SSA account, and starting a physical folder for all legitimate government correspondence so I can cross-reference suspicious emails. One thing that gives me hope is seeing how tech-savvy and vigilant our age group is becoming about these scams. By sharing experiences like this, we're making it much harder for scammers to succeed. Thanks Lucas for posting this warning and thanks to everyone for the detailed advice - this thread should be required reading for anyone approaching Medicare eligibility!

I'm 68 and went through all this Medicare enrollment chaos two years ago - this thread brings back so many memories! What's really troubling is how much more sophisticated these scams have gotten since then. I remember getting maybe one or two suspicious emails, but it sounds like you folks are getting bombarded with them now. One thing I learned the hard way: even if you think you're being careful, these scammers are getting incredibly good at psychological manipulation. They sent me a fake "Medicare card replacement" email right after I had legitimately lost my card, and I almost fell for it because the timing seemed too coincidental to be fake. Thankfully I called my local SSA office first (after waiting 90 minutes!) and they confirmed it was a scam. Here's something nobody mentioned yet - keep a written log of ALL your legitimate government interactions: dates you called, reference numbers, what you discussed, etc. When I get suspicious emails now, I can quickly check my log to see if there's any legitimate reason I'd be getting that communication. It's saved me multiple times from second-guessing myself. Also, tell your adult children about these scams! My daughter now helps me review any government-related emails before I respond to anything. Having an extra set of eyes really helps, especially when you're stressed or dealing with health issues that might affect your judgment. Stay vigilant everyone - unfortunately these scams are only going to get worse as more of us age into Medicare eligibility.

I'm 56 and this discussion has been absolutely crucial for me to read! While I still have several years before Medicare, I'm already seeing how important it is to get educated about these scams early. What really alarms me is how these criminals are specifically targeting people during one of the most stressful and confusing periods of our lives - when we're trying to navigate Medicare enrollment and Social Security for the first time. The fake domain example "ssa-services.gov" is terrifying because I probably would have missed that subtle difference too, especially if I was already overwhelmed with legitimate paperwork. I'm implementing several strategies from this thread immediately: setting up a dedicated government email account, enabling two-factor authentication on my future SSA account, and starting that written log of government interactions that Freya mentioned. What gives me hope is seeing how this community is actively sharing knowledge to protect each other. By the time I reach Medicare age, I'll be much better prepared thanks to everyone's experiences shared here. I'm also going to make sure my parents (who are in their 80s) know about these specific scam tactics - they might be getting targeted too but not recognizing the signs. Thank you Lucas for posting this important warning, and thanks to everyone who shared such detailed advice. This thread is going to help protect so many people from these increasingly sophisticated scammers!