The Social Security Administration announced Tuesday that it will perform an “antifraud check” for claims submitted by phone or walk-back service over the phone.
The Social Security Administration announced that “starting April 14”, the agency will “perform an anti-fraud review on all claims submitted over the phone and flag claims with fraud risk indicators.”
The announcement coincides with the Department of Government Efficiency findings of alleged waste and fraud, including non-citizens receiving Social Security numbers and payments made to accounts that were “100, 200 and even 300 years” old.
According to a report by the Associated Press, however, the numbers cited in the DOGE and Musk reports are exaggerated and do not accurately represent Social Security data. Those who have legal authorization to work in the United States receive Social Security Numbers, but undocumented migrants who lack work authorization are not eligible.
The post from Tuesday added that people whose accounts had been flagged as possible frauds would have to personally prove their identities. They can still process their claims online if no fraud has been detected.
“We will continue to verify IDs 100 percent for all claims made in person.” The Social Security Administration reported that 70K telephone claims out of 4.5 million a year may be flagged.
The agency announced last month that it would no longer allow people to verify their identities over the telephone. On Tuesday, however, the agency reversed its decision, saying that the phone will remain “a viable alternative for the public.”
