NBC 5 Responds: How to protect yourself from Social Security fraud

The following report is a collaboration with our investigative colleagues at NBC Philadelphia.

Scammers are taking advantage of tax season to try to steal your personal information. One NBC Responds viewer contacted our consumer investigative team after receiving an email that appeared to be from the Social Security Administration—but something didn’t seem right.

Good thing he trusted his gut. It was a phishing scam.

NBC 5 Responds shared the email with the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General, which told us, “This is a scam.” In fact, it’s a common type of email scam where fraudsters try to get you to download or click links that would give them access to your computer or personal information.

And the messages can be convincing.

In 2024, Illinois residents lost more than $16 million to government impersonation scams, according to the FBI. In Indiana, more than $3 million in losses were reported the same year.

If you receive an email claiming to be from the Social Security Administration, check the sender’s address carefully—official government emails end in “.gov.” When in doubt, go directly to SSA.gov, log in with your credentials, and verify any messages there.

If you think you were the victim of a government impersonation scam involving the Social Security Administration, report the fraud to the SSA.

Consider reporting the fraud to your bank to prevent any future unauthorized activity, and monitor your credit score. Your Social Security number could be used to open an unauthorized line of credit in your name.