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The
Social Security Administration (SSA), Office of the Inspector General
(OIG), Fraud Hotline provides an avenue for reporting fraud, waste, and
abuse within SSA's programs and operations. The SSA OIG Fraud Hotline
receives allegations by telephone, regular mail, facsimile, and electronic
mail. Allegations received at the SSA OIG Fraud Hotline are carefully
reviewed to determine the most appropriate course of action.
The OIG is an independent law enforcement agency mandated to investigate
fraud in SSA programs. Our specialists are trained to take reports regarding
allegations of fraud, waste and abuse within Social Security programs
and operations. We cannot assist you or intervene in applications for
benefits currently pending before SSA. If you have been denied benefits
you should use the appellate process provided with your denial notice
for contesting that denial. The fact that you have been denied benefits
is not the basis for a fraud allegation unless one of the criminal acts
listed below is involved.
A number of instances have been reported to us recently where someone
is impersonating an SSA employee trying to obtain personal information
from you. If you have encountered this situation, please click on the
link to our page Scams
Involving Impersonating an SSA Employee.
If you need to speak with someone regarding the denial of benefits, have
questions regarding your Social Security Account, would like a replacement
SSN card, or are seeking general information about Social Security programs,
call (toll free) 1-800-772-1213 or visit their website at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/reach.htm.
If you wish to report Medicare or Medicaid fraud, please contact the Department
of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General at 1-800-447-8477,
or visit their website at http://oig.hhs.gov/hotline.html.
If you wish to report identity theft, please contact the Federal Trade
Commission (FTC). The FTC is the federal clearinghouse for identity theft
complaints at www.consumer.gov/idtheft/filing_complaintwftc.html.
SSA OIG HOTLINE CONTACT INFORMATION
EMAIL: Fraud
Reporting Form
If you send an allegation via email, please provide your name, telephone
number and address.
MAIL: SSA FRAUD HOTLINE
PO
BOX 17768
BALTIMORE,
MD 21235
FAX: 410-597-0118
CALL: 1-800-269-0271
Hours of operation: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
TTY: 1-866-501-2101
If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you may call our TTY number.
Guidelines for Reporting Fraud
The SSA OIG Fraud Hotline is a clearinghouse for receiving and handling
allegations regarding violations of law or regulations affecting Social
Security Administration (SSA) programs and operations. Examples of violations
include:
Criminal activity such as:
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False statements on claims |
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Concealment of material facts or events affecting eligibility |
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Misuse of benefits by a representative payee |
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Buying or selling Social Security cards or SSA information |
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SSN misuse involving people with links to terrorist groups or activities |
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Crimes involving SSA employees |
Other violations such as:
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Conflict
of interest |
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Fraud
or misuse of grant or contracting funds |
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Significant
mismanagement and waste of funds |
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Standards
of conduct violations |
We would like you to think carefully about the allegation and the information
you have available that can help us determine whether a crime has been
committed. To process your allegation, we will need you to provide as
much identifying information as possible regarding the suspect and victim.
Your information should include:
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Name |
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SSN |
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Date of Birth |
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Address |
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Telephone Number |
Without sufficient identifying information we will be unable to act
on your allegation.
Details regarding the allegation should include the basics of:
Who committed the fraud?
What exactly did the suspect do?
Where did the fraud take place?
When did it happen?
How was the Fraud committed?
Do you know why the person committed the fraud?
Who else has knowledge of the potential violation?
The more you can tell us, the better chance we have of determining whether
a crime has been committed.
We are very interested in the information you have to provide regarding
fraud in SSA programs. However, we cannot provide information regarding
what action we have taken on any allegation reported to our office.
Federal regulations prohibit the disclosure of information contained
in law enforcement records even to the individual making the allegation.
Under no circumstances will we provide you with the "status"
of action taken on the allegation. Once we receive the information from
you, you will receive an acknowledgement letter. If you send us an allegation
by electronic mail, an acknowledgement will be sent automatically to
your email address. Unless you are contacted directly by one of our
investigators, there will be no further communication from our office.
PRIVACY ACT NOTICE
Our authority to request information concerning fraud, waste and abuse
in connection with the programs and operations of the Social Security
Administration (SSA) is found in the Inspector General Act of 1978,
as amended, 5 U.S.C. App. 3, sec. 4. You may submit your information
anonymously.
Information that you submit will be used principally for investigations
into fraud, waste, and abuse in connection with the programs and operations
of the SSA. This includes benefits fraud, fraud in connection with obtaining
a Social Security Number, identity theft involving misuse of a Social
Security Number, and all other possible criminal and civil violations
of the Social Security Act.
We may make disclosures of information you submit to other Federal and
State government law enforcement agencies as necessary to complete our
investigation, or as required under Federal law. We may refer your allegation
to the appropriate law enforcement agency if we believe you have alleged
a criminal or civil violation properly within their jurisdiction. We
will refer all allegations of identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission.
We may refer your allegation to the SSA if we believe your allegation
may be addressed through administrative action, for instance, if you
allege a simple mistake in the computation of your benefit amount.
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