Scam Examples Secria

Social Security scam emails, calls and letters

SSA's inspector general warned of a surge in fake "your statement is ready to download" emails in 2026. Real SSA email comes from an address ending in ".gov".1

Social Security Administration9:41 AM

<statements@ssa-online.example.com>1

Your Social Security statement is ready

Your annual Social Security statement is ready to download.2 Review it within 48 hours to avoid an interruption to your benefits.3 Download statement (PDF)4

  1. The sender's address doesn't end in ".gov". Official SSA email does.1
  2. A statement "ready to download", the exact wording SSA's inspector general warned about in February 2026.1
  3. Urgency. SSA never threatens to suspend your benefits to make you pay at once.1
  4. A download link or attachment. SSA never sends unsolicited attachments or direct download links.1

What to do Don't click or reply. Type ssa.gov/myaccount into your browser yourself, and report the email at oig.ssa.gov/report.1

Rebuilt from SSA's inspector general alert of 19 February 2026; the address is made up. Checked 1 November 2026 against the sources.

The four ways it arrives

SSA's inspector general says these scammers use phone, text, email, social media or mail.2

  1. A call.The caller claims a problem with your Social Security number, benefits or identity and pushes you to act now. Caller ID can be spoofed to show a government number.2
  2. An email.A statement "ready to download", with official-looking logos, colors and formatting. The link may install malware or lead to a fake site.1
  3. A badge photo.A real SSA employee's name, sometimes taken from social media, with a fake badge sent as proof.2 SSA says it will never text or email images of an employee's ID.3
  4. The payment.Gift cards, gold bars, cryptocurrency, wire transfers or cash: payments that are hard to trace.2

What SSA says it does, and never does

From the inspector general's own alerts.

It never

Demands immediate payment, sends unsolicited attachments or download links, threatens arrest or benefit suspension, asks for gift cards, prepaid debit cards, wires, crypto, cash or gold bars, or offers to move your money to protect it.1

Any one of these means it isn't SSA.

It does

In a 2021 alert, SSA said that if you owe money it mails you a letter with payment options and appeal rights, and that it texts only people who opted in, or as a security step when you sign in to my Social Security.3

Check with SSA on contact details you look up yourself.2

If you got one

  1. Don't click links, open attachments, reply or give personal information.1
  2. To see your real statement, type ssa.gov/myaccount into your browser. Setting up the account also guards against identity thieves.1,2
  3. Report it to SSA's inspector general at oig.ssa.gov/report.4 Report fake social media profiles to the platform.2 Where to report each kind of scam
  4. If you clicked, downloaded or shared details: stop all contact, call your bank, and report it to the OIG, the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC. If you lost money, tell local police too.1

Questions people ask

Does Social Security send emails about your statement?

Emails saying your statement is ready to download are the scam SSA's inspector general warned about in February 2026. SSA never sends unsolicited download links or attachments, so sign in at ssa.gov/myaccount instead.1

Does Social Security call you?

A real government employee will never demand immediate payment or personal information, ask for gift cards or crypto, or threaten arrest.2 If a call does any of that, hang up and call SSA on a number you look up yourself.2

Can my Social Security number be suspended?

SSA says it will never suspend your Social Security number. A call or message that says it has is a scam.3

How big is this scam?

Between January 2025 and July 2026 the FBI received nearly 61,000 complaints about law enforcement or government impersonation scams, with losses of more than $1.6 billion. That covers all agencies, not just SSA.6

More scam examples

Sources 6
  1. Scam Alert: Surge in Fake 'Download Statement' Emails from Government Imposters (19 February 2026), Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General. Read 1 November 2026.
  2. New Wave of Imposter Scams: Criminals Using Real SSA Employee Names and Fake Badges (28 April 2026), SSA Office of the Inspector General. Read 1 November 2026.
  3. New Tactics for Government Imposters (2 March 2021), SSA Office of the Inspector General. Read 1 November 2026.
  4. Report the Scam (undated page), SSA Office of the Inspector General. Read 1 November 2026.
  5. What To Do if You Were Scammed (June 2026), Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Advice. Read 1 November 2026.
  6. Scammers Impersonating Law Enforcement and Government Officials in Fraud Schemes (I-091726-PSA, 17 September 2026), FBI IC3. Read 1 November 2026.

Every example is rebuilt from an official alert and made safe, and every source shows the day we read it. How we check