Social Security website now requiring ID.me driver's license photo and selfie - is this legit or a scam?

This is completely legitimate. ID.me recently upgraded their security protocols for government sites, especially Social Security. I had to do the same thing last month when checking my retirement benefit estimates. It's actually a good thing - the extra verification steps help prevent someone else from accessing your Social Security information. The selfie is used for facial recognition matching with your ID to verify it's really you. I was hesitant at first too, but after researching it, I went ahead and completed the process without any issues.

actualy its probly a scam!! my cousin got tricked by something similar and they stole her identity. SSA would NEVER ask for ur drivers license online. call the office directly!!!!

I went through this exact process about two weeks ago. The ID.me verification with photo ID and selfie is legitimate and is part of the SSA's enhanced security measures. The reason you're seeing it now when you didn't before is that they're implementing stricter identity verification requirements in phases. Some accounts are just now being required to complete the additional verification. The process takes about 5 minutes. Make sure you're in good lighting for the selfie portion. If the automated system has trouble verifying you, you might need to do a video call with an ID.me representative (I had to do this because my driver's license photo is quite old). One tip: after you complete this enhanced verification once, you shouldn't have to do it again unless you log in from a new device or clear your browser cookies.

This happened to me too!!! I freaked out at first but yes it's real. The government is getting stricter with online identity verification because of all the fraud happening with benefits. My neighbor works for SSA and confirmed they're using ID.me's enhanced verification now.

If you're having trouble getting through to Social Security to verify whether this is legitimate, you might want to try using Claimyr. I had a similar concern about a verification issue and couldn't get through to SSA for days. I used the service at claimyr.com and they got me connected to a live SSA agent in about 30 minutes instead of waiting for hours. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. The agent confirmed that the ID.me verification process with license photo and selfie is their official procedure now.

The thing that worries me about all this is why do they keep changing the security requirements?? I had just gotten used to the old system and now they want pictures of my face?? What will they want next year? Blood samples?? 🤔

To clarify some confusion in this thread: The Social Security Administration officially partnered with ID.me in 2021 as their identity verification provider. The implementation of enhanced verification requirements (including ID upload and selfie) has been rolled out gradually, which is why some users are only now encountering these steps. The verification process uses what's called "Knowledge-Based Verification" (your existing login credentials) plus "Document-Based Verification" (your driver's license) and "Biometric Verification" (your selfie). This multi-factor approach significantly reduces fraud risk. If you want to confirm this is legitimate, you can: 1. Call SSA directly at 1-800-772-1213 2. Visit your local SSA office in person 3. Check the official SSA.gov website's security section Rest assured this is a legitimate security upgrade, not a scam.

I'm glad to see this discussion helping clarify the situation! As someone new to this community, I want to add that I recently went through this same ID.me verification process for my VA benefits account, and it was identical - driver's license photo and selfie verification. The government is definitely standardizing this across multiple agencies. For anyone still concerned, you can also check ID.me's official website where they list all their government partners including SSA, VA, IRS, and others. The consistency across different agencies was what convinced me it was legitimate when I first encountered it.

As a newcomer here, I want to share that I just went through this exact same experience last week! I was also initially suspicious when ID.me suddenly asked for my driver's license photo and selfie after months of regular logins. What helped me verify it was legitimate was going directly to SSA.gov (not through any links) and seeing that they have official information about their partnership with ID.me right on their website. I also called the SSA customer service line to double-check, and they confirmed this is their new standard verification process. The whole thing took about 10 minutes, and my account access has been working normally since then. It's definitely nerve-wracking when security processes change unexpectedly, but this one appears to be the real deal!

Hi everyone! As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to share that I just experienced this exact same situation yesterday. I was also initially alarmed when ID.me suddenly requested my driver's license photo and selfie after using the same login process for over a year without issues. What helped me verify it was legitimate was checking the official SSA.gov website where they have a dedicated page explaining their partnership with ID.me and the enhanced verification requirements. I also noticed that when I was redirected to ID.me, the URL remained secure (https) and showed ID.me's official domain. After reading through all the helpful responses here, I went ahead and completed the verification process. The whole thing took about 8 minutes, and I was able to access my Social Security account normally afterward. It's definitely unsettling when security processes change without warning, but it appears this is part of the government's broader effort to combat identity theft and fraud. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it really helped me feel more confident about proceeding!

Hi everyone! As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to add my recent experience with this same ID.me verification issue. I encountered the exact same situation about three weeks ago - after months of using my regular login, ID.me suddenly prompted me for a driver's license photo and selfie. Like many of you, I was immediately suspicious and worried it might be a scam. What helped me verify its legitimacy was actually visiting my local Social Security office in person to ask about it. The representative there confirmed that this enhanced verification through ID.me is indeed their official new security protocol, and they're rolling it out to existing users in phases (which explains why some people are just now seeing it). She mentioned that the increased security measures are in response to a significant rise in fraudulent attempts to access Social Security accounts. I completed the verification process right there on my phone while at the office, and it worked perfectly. For anyone still hesitant, I'd definitely recommend either calling SSA directly or visiting in person if you have time - having that face-to-face confirmation really put my mind at ease about the whole process.

Hi everyone! As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to share that I experienced this exact same thing about a week ago. After reading through all these helpful responses, I'm now confident this is legitimate. What really convinced me was when I called the SSA number (1-800-772-1213) that Felix mentioned and spoke directly with a representative who confirmed that the ID.me photo verification is their official new security requirement. She explained that they're implementing it gradually, which is why long-time users like us are suddenly seeing these new steps. I also appreciated Kevin's tip about good lighting for the selfie - that definitely helped the process go smoothly. It took me about 6 minutes total, and I've had no issues accessing my account since then. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread really helped ease my concerns about what initially seemed like a potential scam!

Hello everyone! As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to add my experience with this ID.me verification issue. I ran into the exact same situation about two weeks ago - after using my regular login for nearly a year, I was suddenly prompted for a driver's license photo and selfie verification. Like many of you, my first instinct was that this might be a phishing attempt. What helped me feel confident it was legitimate was doing a few verification steps: I went directly to SSA.gov (typing the URL myself rather than following any links), found their official information about the ID.me partnership, and then called their customer service line to double-check. The representative confirmed this is part of their enhanced security rollout and that they're implementing it in phases for existing users. I completed the verification process and it went smoothly - took about 7 minutes total. My account has been working normally ever since. It's definitely jarring when security processes change without advance notice, but this appears to be a genuine effort to protect our Social Security information from fraud. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences here - it's so helpful to have a community where we can help each other navigate these unexpected changes!

Hi everyone! As a newcomer to this community, I wanted to share my recent experience with this exact ID.me verification situation. I encountered the same unexpected prompt for driver's license photo and selfie verification just last week after months of routine logins to my Social Security account. Initially, I was very suspicious - like many of you, my first thought was that this could be a sophisticated phishing scam. What helped me verify its authenticity was taking a multi-step approach: I independently navigated to SSA.gov (typing the URL directly), located their official documentation about the ID.me partnership, cross-referenced this with ID.me's government partners page, and finally called SSA's customer service line for verbal confirmation. The representative I spoke with explained that this enhanced verification is part of their phased rollout to combat the significant increase in benefit fraud attempts they've been seeing. She also mentioned that existing users are being prompted for this additional verification on a rolling basis, which explains why it seemed to appear out of nowhere for those of us who had been using the same login process successfully for months. After getting that confirmation, I completed the verification process - it took about 8 minutes and went smoothly with good lighting as Kevin suggested. My account access has been normal ever since. It's understandable that these sudden security changes raise red flags, but this appears to be a legitimate effort to protect our personal information. Thanks to everyone who has shared their experiences here - this kind of community discussion is so valuable when navigating unexpected changes like this!

Hi everyone! As a newcomer to this community, I just went through this exact same experience yesterday and wanted to share what happened. Like many of you, I was completely caught off guard when ID.me suddenly requested my driver's license photo and selfie after using the same login process for about 8 months without any issues. My immediate reaction was suspicion - especially with all the identity theft scams we hear about these days. What convinced me it was legitimate was following a similar verification process to what others have described here: I went directly to SSA.gov by typing the URL myself, found their official page about ID.me partnership, and then called the 1-800-772-1213 number to speak with an SSA representative. She confirmed that this enhanced verification is indeed their new standard security protocol and explained that they're rolling it out to existing users gradually, which is why it seemed to appear suddenly for those of us who had been using regular login credentials successfully. I completed the verification process and it took about 6 minutes total. One tip that helped me was ensuring I had good lighting and a plain background for the selfie portion. Everything has been working normally since then, and I can access my Social Security information just like before. This thread has been incredibly helpful in providing reassurance and practical advice. It's so valuable to have a community where we can help each other navigate these unexpected security changes and distinguish between legitimate updates and potential scams. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences!

Hi everyone! As a newcomer to this community, I just wanted to share my experience with this exact same ID.me verification situation that happened to me about 10 days ago. Like so many others here, I was initially very alarmed when I was suddenly prompted for a driver's license photo and selfie after months of using the same login process without any issues. What really helped me verify this was legitimate was reading through official government sources and doing some independent research. I went directly to SSA.gov (typing the URL myself, not clicking any links), found their security section that clearly explains the ID.me partnership, and also checked the Department of Homeland Security's website which mentions ID.me as an approved identity verification provider for federal agencies. I also called the SSA customer service line and the representative confirmed that this enhanced verification is part of their official security upgrade in response to increased fraud attempts. She mentioned that they're implementing it in phases, which explains why long-time users are suddenly encountering these new requirements. I completed the verification process and it took about 7 minutes. One thing that helped was making sure I was in a well-lit area and held my phone steady during the selfie portion. Everything has worked perfectly since then. This thread has been so helpful in providing reassurance and practical tips. It's great to see a community where we can help each other navigate these kinds of unexpected changes and share our experiences to help others feel more confident about legitimate security updates!

Hi everyone! As a newcomer to this community, I just experienced this exact same ID.me verification situation about 4 days ago and wanted to share my experience. Like many others here, I was initially very concerned when ID.me suddenly requested my driver's license photo and selfie after using the same login process for nearly a year without any changes. What helped me confirm this was legitimate was following the thorough verification steps that others have mentioned in this thread: I went directly to SSA.gov by typing the URL myself, found their official documentation about the ID.me partnership in their security section, and then called their customer service line at 1-800-772-1213. The representative I spoke with was very understanding about people's concerns and confirmed that this enhanced verification is indeed their official new security protocol being rolled out in phases. I completed the verification process and it took about 9 minutes total. Following the lighting tips that Kevin and others mentioned really helped - I made sure I was near a window with good natural light. The process was actually smoother than I expected once I got past my initial hesitation. This entire thread has been incredibly valuable in helping me and others navigate this unexpected change. It's so important to have a community where we can share experiences and help each other distinguish between legitimate security upgrades and potential scams. The consistency of everyone's positive experiences after verification really helped build my confidence to proceed. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their stories!

Hi everyone! As a newcomer to this community, I just went through this exact same ID.me verification experience about a week ago and wanted to share what happened. Like so many others here, I was completely taken aback when ID.me suddenly prompted me for my driver's license photo and selfie after using the same login process for about 6 months without any issues. My first instinct was definitely that this could be some kind of sophisticated phishing attempt. What helped me verify it was legitimate was taking a comprehensive approach similar to what others have described: I navigated directly to SSA.gov by typing the URL myself, located their official page explaining the ID.me partnership, cross-referenced this information with ID.me's list of government partners, and then called SSA's customer service line for confirmation. The representative was very helpful and explained that this enhanced verification is part of their official security rollout happening in phases, which is why existing users are suddenly seeing these new requirements after months of routine access. I went ahead and completed the verification process, and it took about 8 minutes total. The lighting and steady hand tips mentioned by others in this thread were really helpful for the selfie portion. Everything has been working normally since then, and I can access my Social Security information just like before. This discussion has been incredibly valuable - it's so important to have a community where we can help each other navigate these unexpected security changes and share our experiences to distinguish legitimate updates from potential scams. The consistency of positive experiences shared here really helped me feel confident about proceeding. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their stories and verification steps!

Hi everyone! As a newcomer to this community, I just experienced this exact same ID.me verification situation about 5 days ago and wanted to share my experience. Like many others here, I was initially very suspicious when ID.me suddenly requested my driver's license photo and selfie after months of using the same login process without any changes. What helped me verify this was legitimate was following the thorough verification steps that several community members have outlined: I went directly to SSA.gov by typing the URL myself, found their official documentation about the ID.me partnership, and called the SSA customer service line at 1-800-772-1213. The representative confirmed this is their official enhanced security protocol and explained that the phased rollout is why long-time users are suddenly encountering these new requirements. I completed the verification process and it took about 7 minutes total. The lighting tips from Kevin and others were really helpful for the selfie portion - I made sure I was in a well-lit area which made the process go smoothly. This thread has been incredibly valuable in helping me and others navigate this unexpected change. It's so reassuring to see so many community members who have independently verified this through official channels and had positive experiences. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories - it really helps distinguish legitimate security upgrades from potential scams!

Hi everyone! As a newcomer to this community, I just encountered this exact same ID.me verification situation yesterday and wanted to share my experience. Like so many others here, I was immediately alarmed when ID.me suddenly prompted me for a driver's license photo and selfie after using my regular login for about 10 months without any issues. Reading through this entire thread has been incredibly reassuring! I followed the verification steps that multiple community members have recommended: I went directly to SSA.gov by typing the URL myself, found their official security page explaining the ID.me partnership, and called the SSA customer service line at 1-800-772-1213. The representative confirmed that this enhanced verification is indeed their official security upgrade being implemented in phases. I completed the verification process this morning and it took about 8 minutes total. The lighting tips from Kevin and others were spot-on - good natural light really made the selfie portion go smoothly. Everything is working normally now. What I find most valuable about this discussion is seeing how many people independently verified this through official channels and had consistently positive experiences. It really helps distinguish legitimate security upgrades from potential scams. As someone who was initially very skeptical, I'm grateful for this community resource that helped me navigate this unexpected change with confidence. Thanks to everyone who shared their detailed verification steps and experiences!