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Social Security Administration Warns Of Coronavirus Scams

Senior Citizens
Bluesbby, flickr CC BY 2.0 https://www.flickr.com/photos/17367470@N05/35281320372/

Federal officials say Social Security benefits will continue to be paid on time throughout the coronavirus pandemic emergency.

The agency also urges anyone who receives Social Security or SSI Supplemental Security Income checks to watch for scams, which could include fake phone calls or messages alleging problems with a Social Security number or account and other fraud designed to trick recipients into giving away sensitive personal or financial information.

“Social Security will pay monthly benefits on time and these payments will not be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. I want our beneficiaries to be aware that scammers may try to trick you into thinking the pandemic is stopping or somehow changing your Social Security payments, but that is not true. Don’t be fooled,” Andrew Saul, Social Security Commissioner, said in a written statement.

Local Social Security offices remain closed to the public as a result of the coronavirus crisis.

The Social Security Administration is directing Social Security recipients to a special website for updated coronavirus-related information.

Help is also available by phone, toll-free at 1-800-772-1213. The agency is asking callers for patience amid longer-than-usual wait times.

Please visit the agency’s COVID-19 web page at www.socialsecurity.gov/coronavirus/ for important information and updates.

Jess Mador comes to WYSO from Knoxville NPR-station WUOT, where she created an interactive multimedia health storytelling project called TruckBeat, one of 15 projects around the country participating in AIR's Localore: #Finding America initiative. Before TruckBeat, Jess was an independent public radio journalist based in Minneapolis. She’s also worked as a staff reporter and producer at Minnesota Public Radio in the Twin Cities, and produced audio, video and web stories for a variety of other news outlets, including NPR News, APM, and PBS television stations. She has a Master's degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York. She loves making documentaries and telling stories at the intersection of journalism, digital and social media.