Office of inspector general social security administration

Social Security Fraud, Misuse, or Impersonation

Office of inspector general social security administration
Office of inspector general social security administration

The Social Security Administration (SSA) investigates reports like these:

  • Providing false information or evidence for a benefit claim
  • Concealment of work and assets
  • Representative payee misuse
  • Misuse and trafficking of Social Security numbers and cards by people or businesses
  • Reports of criminal activity and serious misconduct involving Social Security employees

  • SSA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) reviews all reports that are filed.

  • SSA OIG cannot provide you with information about actions taken on any reports.

  • Federal regulations do not allow information in law enforcement records to be shared, even with the person who made the report.

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Report Waste, Fraud

Abuse, Or Retaliation

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Office of inspector general social security administration

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Social Security Administration

Office of inspector general social security administration

The Honorable Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General

6401 Security Boulevard; Suite 300, Baltimore, MD 21235

Hotline Number: 

(800) 269-0271

Hearing Impaired: (866) 501-2101

What to Report to the OIG Hotline: 

If you are a Social Security Administration (SSA) employee, or an employee of an SSA contractor or grantee, and you suspect fraud, waste, abuse, mismanagement in SSA programs or operations, or reprisal against you for reporting wrongdoing, you may report that to the Social Security Fraud Hotline. You may find more whistleblower information at https://oig.ssa.gov/whistleblower-protection.

The SSA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) investigates many types of Social Security-related fraud, including

• Social Security-related scams
• making false statements or facilitating fraud in applying for Social Security benefits
• concealing work activity while receiving disability benefits
• receiving Social Security benefits for a child not under the recipient’s care
• receiving and using a deceased person’s Social Security benefits
• concealing a marriage or assets while receiving Supplemental Security Income
• residing overseas while receiving Supplemental Security Income
• misusing benefits when acting as a representative payee
• SSA employee or contract and procurement fraud

What Not to report to the OIG Hotline : 

Whistleblower Protection Link: 

Is there an Inspector General for Social Security?

The Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General has an enormous responsibility to protect taxpayer dollars. Our mission is to serve the public through independent oversight of SSA's programs and operations.

What is the purpose of the Office of the Inspector General?

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) is an independent organization within the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charged with protecting the integrity of agency programs and operations.

How can I tell if an email from Social Security is real?

Most emails from Social Security will come from a “. gov" email address. If an email address does not end in “. gov”, use caution before opening attachments or clicking on pictures or links in the email.

What do I do if I gave my Social Security number to a scammer?

You can contact the OIG's fraud hotline at 1-800-269-0271 or submit a report online at https://oig.ssa.gov/.