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Scammers are using fake benefit notices, emails, calls, postcards and lookalike websites to steal money or personal information from Social Security beneficiaries and veterans. The safest response is to stop the unexpected interaction, avoid its links and phone numbers, and verify the claim through an official account or contact route you locate independently.
How to recognize the warning signs
A convincing logo, staff name, caller ID, badge image or familiar voice does not prove a message is genuine. Treat urgency, threats, secrecy, requests for passwords or financial details, and instructions to move money as red flags. SSA says scammers may threaten benefit suspension, arrest or legal action, or claim you must pay or share information to receive a cost-of-living adjustment. They may also direct you to transfer money to a supposedly protected account.
In a September 25, 2026 post, SSA republished an FTC figure: more than 375,000 reports about government impersonation scams and more than $900 million in reported collective losses in 2025. Those figures cover government impersonation scams generally, not only Social Security or VA benefit scams; they count reports and reported losses, not every incident or total actual losses. SSA’s FTC article also warns that sponsored search results can mimic agency websites, so do not assume an ad is official.
Scams reported in recent agency alerts
| Scam and date reported | What the message claims | What it may ask you to do | Safer verification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fake VA overpayment notices; reports received in 2025 | A veteran or other benefit recipient owes VA money. | Pay immediately through instructions in a text, email, phone call or fake-looking letter. | Sign in to VA.gov directly and check with VA’s Debt Management Center if needed. |
| “Veterans Savings Program” postcards; VA alert dated June 10, 2026 | You or your spouse qualify for extra benefits or payments, such as CHAMPVA, TRICARE or dental coverage. | Call the postcard number quickly and provide a Social Security number, bank details or other sensitive information. | Do not use the postcard’s number. Find an official VA contact independently; VA’s alert lists 1-800-827-1000. |
| Fake Social Security statement emails; SSA OIG alert dated February 19, 2026 | Your Social Security statement is ready to view or download. | Click a link or open an attachment that may lead to malware or a site designed to steal information. | Type ssa.gov/myaccount into your browser to reach your account directly. |
| Lookalike VA websites; VA reported the sites in an August 25, 2026 article after identifying them in April 2026 | A site made to resemble VA.gov offers VA information or services. | Enter login details or other personal information on a fake site; VA linked the two identified sites to phishing and harmful software. | Type VA.gov yourself or use an independently located official VA contact page. The VA report concerned two sites ending in va.com and va.biz that it identified and shut down; it does not establish that those domains are still active. |
| AI-voice phishing calls; VA alert dated September 25, 2026 | A caller claims to be a colleague or organization representative. | Trust an AI-generated voice or other convincing impersonation and share information or take an action. | Hang up and call the organization using a number you find independently. |
Fake VA debt demands
VA says it received reports in 2025 of scammers posing as VA staff by text, email or phone and claiming recipients owed money. Fake letterhead and logos can make the demand look official. Verify a supposed debt by signing in to VA.gov through VA’s fraud-prevention guidance. If a debt is real, use the official VA.gov route or the Debt Management Center—not payment instructions from an unexpected contact. VA says it will not ask for your VA login credentials or passwords.
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VA’s June 10, 2026 alert describes unsolicited “Veterans Savings Program” postcards promising extra benefits or payments, sometimes naming CHAMPVA, TRICARE or dental coverage. A short deadline may pressure you to call and disclose personal or financial information. Do not call the number on the card or share information with an unverified contact. Verify through a VA number you locate independently; the alert lists 1-800-827-1000. The alert also lists VSAFE.gov and 1-833-38V-SAFE for reporting.
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Fake Social Security statement emails
SSA OIG warned on February 19, 2026, about a surge in emails falsely saying a Social Security statement is ready. They may copy official colors, logos and language, while links or attachments lead to malware or sites that steal personal and financial information. SSA OIG says official SSA communications come from email addresses ending in .gov, but the safer approach is not to follow a message link: type ssa.gov/myaccount into your browser. In the alert, Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit as First Assistant, said: “These messages are not from Social Security. Anyone who receives one should delete it immediately and report it.”
Impersonation calls and suspicious transfers
SSA’s scam guidance describes callers who spoof official numbers, threaten suspension, arrest or legal action, demand secrecy, or say you must move money to a “protected” account. SSA’s July 29, 2026 warning says legitimate companies and other agencies cannot transfer a phone call directly to SSA or OIG. VA’s September 25, 2026 phishing alert describes vishing calls that use AI-generated deepfake voices to impersonate colleagues or organizations. Do not rely on caller ID, a badge image, an official-sounding voice or a caller’s knowledge of personal details. Hang up and call an official number you locate independently.
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Lookalike VA websites
VA’s August 25, 2026 article said the department identified two fraudulent sites in April 2026 that ended in va.com and va.biz and were designed to mimic VA.gov. VA linked them to phishing and harmful software and said they had been shut down. That dated report does not establish that the domains remain active. Check the address carefully and reach VA by typing VA.gov yourself or finding an official contact page independently; a familiar logo is not authentication.
Protect your VA claim and benefit payments
Check claims helpers before sharing information
VA warns about companies that charge veterans to file an initial claim, promise faster processing or a particular disability rating, or pressure people to sign contracts. VA says you do not need to pay anyone to help file an initial claim. Before sharing sensitive information with a claims helper, check the person’s credentials using VA’s Office of General Counsel Accreditation search.
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Watch for payment redirection
Criminals who obtain personal information or account credentials may access an account or contact the VA National Contact Center to redirect benefit deposits. Monitor your payment and direct-deposit activity. If a payment is missing or your deposit details changed unexpectedly, contact VA through an official route promptly. VA’s identity and benefits protection guidance explains these risks.
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What to do if a message or call seems suspicious
- Stop the interaction. Do not click a link, open an attachment, scan a QR code, call a number on an unsolicited postcard, provide a password or share financial details. End the call or conversation.
- Verify independently. Type the agency’s official address or find its contact information through an independent source. For a claimed VA debt, use your signed-in VA.gov account or the Debt Management Center. For a Social Security statement or account, type ssa.gov/myaccount.
- Report the attempt. Report suspected Social Security scams through SSA’s scam guidance and reporting route, which includes SSA OIG and FTC reporting help. Report VA benefits or healthcare fraud through VSAFE at 833-38V-SAFE (8-7233), or use an official VA contact route.
- Limit further harm if you shared information. Contact your bank or card issuer promptly if you exposed financial details. If you shared account credentials, secure the account and follow its official recovery steps. Preserve the message or other evidence and report it. For suspected fraud, the FTC also accepts reports at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
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