Good thing you checked!

Thanks for the information--I would probably have fell for it. Strange how they had the last 4 digits of social security # and amount of income before retirement. Would make one think it was legit. What is this world coming to!!

The Social Security office will know your complete SS# - everyone knows your last four digits (as you are aware), and so that does not prove anything.

It is always important to call the SS office if you receive anything that is in the least suspicious, and asking for proof of birth is extremely suspicious.

If necessary, you can always go in person to your local SS office, but it is good that you were able to get this resolved over the phone.

Kudos for being on top of it and calling SS. If only more people would do the same.

How do they know the last four digits of your SSN?

Good job calling the number YOU know, and not a number from the letter. Call the police department, too, so they can maybe alert the community.

If anyone receives an email, message containing "federal home care and family support grant" it is some type of spam. Received one this evening from what looked like a friend except my friend knows how I feel about taking money. Had lots of periods in the name which was also odd.

“If necessary, you can always go in person to your local SS office…”

Nope, they've been closed for covid going on 15 months now.

Everyone, especially seniors, needs to be able to monitor and assess incoming communications of all kinds on their own. And determine authentic from inauthentic. Those who feel they can't do so need to have help from family or friends, no matter what that involves. Honestly, it isn't that hard. It's also not a reason to panic.

Con games and phony conduct didn't start with the internet age, won't go away, and will only get better and better as time goes on.

I found out they were still closed Wednesday when I drove to the local office. Called the number and the earliest next available phone appointment we could get was July 16th.

Thanks for the warning! Some day we'll be collecting SS and need to be on our toes. The letter you got sounds and looked legit....so good of YOU to know better....and check it out!

I've posted on our local Nextdoor. DH is phoning the police now. (Thanks for that advice, bpath!)

I'd be surprised if any police department would be interested in something like this, it doesn't have to do with local activity. Expect them to suggest talking to the USPS (if what happened is mail fraud, a federal offense) and the Social Security folks.

There's no reason to get exercised over this, it's the same thing in another form as a bogus phone call about malware on your PC (from India or a robo call), selling you a car warranty or telling you your bank or credit card account is about to be closed. Expect it to happen again

Elmer, I wouldn't necessarily expect a police department to pursue the matter, but some are very good at getting the word out to the community about various goings-on. They might include it in a newsletter or their social media, just as they do about other theft or vandalism rings. After all, it's part of their mission, to protect. A senior center might also pick up on it and share with their members. And people share with their friends. And, people who fell prey to the scam might realize it WAS a scam and report it, which might help them (I'm not sure how, but it could protect them down the road).

And yes, they just might suggest taking it to the post office. Not everyone would think of mail fraud.

The other examples you give also happen, and I'm glad when people report or talk about them, whether here or elsewhere, for general awareness. I'm not sure chisue is throwing her arms up frantically. She's starting an experience for general awareness.

Local police will do nothing as this would be considered to be under federal jurisdiction. USPS postal inspectors and Social Security would be the ones that would follow up but there are thousands of this type of scamming that happens so each person needs to review things that they receive and if questions contact using the sending organizations telephone number and not the number listed in a mailing or phone call.

The PD wasn't interested. The Inspector General's hotline keeps business hours, so that will wait until Monday. Good thought about alerting the Senior Center, bpath. I'll do that now.

We ignore all these scams most of the time, but this one is extremely well done! The *franking* was very convincing.

I'm wondering who can access a person's earnings records as reported to Soc. Sec. Everybody and his uncle as those last four digits -- hospitals, banks, etc.

Yeah, that last part concerns me.

Do let the senior center know, and good idea to Nextdoor. I learned about a couple of scams from fb. And I could have sworn the PD has put out warnings, even if only general and not specific to a particular scam.

One or the other of us got one of those or similar letters. Went to the firepit.

I use Norton security software. Two days ago, I got an alert from Norton that my email address was "seen" on the Dark Web, likely from an unauthorized external break in/intrusion of a website/app combo I use once a year or less to pay for parking meters (of all things). That's fine, it was legit, I signed on to my Norton account, it said only the same thing. The email was quite vague, so I called Norton.

The first person I spoke to was panicked. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry. You need to change all the passwords you have, most importantly your gmail account"

Me - Why, what does that have to do with anything?

Her - Oh, you need to do it while we're talking right now, as soon as you can

Me - Why?

Her - Your email address was seen on the Dark Web

Me - So what?

Her - Please confirm you've changed your gmail password now.

Me - Why? Can I please speak to your supervisor

I was calm and polite but not sucked in to her anxiety. After 15 minutes of waiting, with her checking in on me every 3-4 and again asking me to change my gmail password (which I declined to do), she hung up on me.

I called back and spoke to someone much more in control:.

Me-What should I do?

Him- Maybe change your password on that site.

Me - Do you think there's a risk of someone accessing my account and using it to pay a $2 parking meter charge?

Him- (laughing). Yeah, that's probably about the extent of your risk

Me-I don't use common passwords for important or financial accounts, do I need to worry about anything else? I do check my financial accounts at least weekly.

Him- No, you'll probably be fine. Don't worry about it.

Last time I received one of those from a company warning my information has been compromised the compromise was done several years ago. I know that my information is on the dark web because everyone's is eventually. Often the only information is you name and perhaps your address. If anyone was going to do anything with the information other than sending me spam they would have done it long ago and there is no way to stop anyone from using it. Just check your accounts for changes periodically.

I have high regard for and confidence in Norton software (Symantec Corporation) and their expertise. I hadn't heard from the company itself but as I said, I use its services rarely and not likely in the last 18 months. A quick dash to their website confirmed the data intrusion very recently that accessed email addresses but not credit card information. No worries, they only have my Paypal account anyhow. And also confirmed that encrypted site passwords were accessed but not encryption keys needed to read them. They recommended changing site passwords.

A non-event.

Thanks for the heads up, chisue.

I would be alarmed with someone having our accurate employment information.

This is part of why I never use my real birth date for anything social media.

Would be interesting to know where that return envelope is going.

Edited to add: I'd google the phone # too.

I'm waiting to alert further until we talk to the Inspector General's office tomorrow.

breenthumb -- I don't think it matters where the envelope goes. The scammer just wants you to *call* him so he can glean private information. (Envelope address: Social Security Office of Quality Review Assistance & Insurance Quality Branch, P.O. Box 15507, Kansas City, MO 64106-9901.)

The only genuine link to Soc. Sec. Quality Review I see online concerns *disability* reviews. That wouldn't apply to my DH.

My mother used to say "If you go looking for a problem to be concerned about, you'll find one."