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Officials Warn Of Increase In Fake Social Security Emails
Russ Survance
Fri, 20 Feb 2026 16:47:30 EST
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The Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General is alerting the public to a rise in fraudulent emails that claim to provide access to Social Security statements.
According to the agency, scammers are sending messages designed to resemble official SSA correspondence, using similar logos, formatting, and language. The emails often include links or attachments labeled as statements or important documents. Officials warn that clicking these links could install malware or direct users to fake websites aimed at stealing personal and financial information.
Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit, said the agency has seen a sharp uptick in the deceptive messages and stressed that legitimate SSA emails come from addresses ending in ".gov." Recipients are urged to delete suspicious emails without responding.
Common red flags include messages stating a Social Security statement is ready to download, requests for immediate action, and sender addresses that do not end in ".gov."
Anyone who may have interacted with a suspicious message should immediately stop contact with the sender, notify financial institutions, and report the incident to the SSA Office of Inspector General. Victims can also file complaints with the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Internet Crime Complaint Center and the Federal Trade Commission.
Officials emphasized that the SSA and its inspector general will never demand urgent payments, threaten arrest or benefit suspension, request payment through gift cards or cryptocurrency, or offer to move funds for protection.
