Social Security Disability is a great benefit to those who truly need assistance due to a severe medical condition that prevents them from working for at least a year. However, sometimes people violate the law and fabricate a medical condition. Detecting a fraud in the Social Security system is a challenging process, but it is one that is necessary in order to maintain the integrity of the program. Determining whether someone is trying to take advantage of the system can be a difficult task, so before reporting an alleged fraud, consider the long journey ahead and all that goes into pinpointing fraudulent activity.
If you suspect someone is violating the law and is, in fact, fraudulently collecting disability benefits:
- You need to know the reason why the person has been approved for benefits. If you are unable to determine this, research will need to be conducted to determine the truth before accusations are made.
- You need to be aware that even though you see this person, you may not fully understand how the person’s impairment causes difficulties in daily living.
- Some people receiving Social Security Disability suffer from mental or psychological disorders; these are not often easy to pinpoint as an outsider, and it may be difficult to judge how these conditions could interrupt the daily activities.
Typically you would have to know someone quite well in order to determine whether or not he or she is taking advantage of the system. Making strong accusations about someone receiving disability benefits is touchy ground, and something that you would not want to do lightly. When in doubt, do not be afraid to ask questions and look into the actions of the person. This can greatly help you determine where the truth lies. If you do still truly suspect someone of committing a fraudulent act, you should consider reporting that individual.
- You should begin by contacting the toll-free Social Security Administration Fraud Hotline at (800) 269-0271.
- Remember to provide as much information as you can. This includes the name, address, birth date, phone numbers, and Social Security number (if you know it) of the person suspected of committing fraud. The more information you provide, the sooner the investigation can begin. You should explain in detail to the SSA exactly in what type of fraudulent activity that you suspect this person to be involved.
- Do not report anything that you do not know for sure. There are penalties for reporting false information, so stick with the facts.
- Be certain that you understand the situation surrounding the person’s disability. Work may complicate the person’s condition more than you know. Some people are unable to work because they have to be medicated frequently throughout the day. There are also many individuals on disability who have to make trips to the hospital on a weekly or even daily basis. Other individuals may suffer from a psychological or mental condition that makes them appear quite normal, but they may, in reality, be struggling deeply on the inside. You must be fully aware of their circumstances to be able to judge if they are fraudulently collecting benefits.
- If you feel uncomfortable telephoning regarding your concerns, you can complete an online fraud reporting form, or mail in your findings to the Fraud Hotline at:
Social Security Fraud Hotline
P.O. Box 17768
Baltimore, Maryland 21235
When working properly, the Social Security Disability program is a wonderful asset. To those individuals suffering and unable to work, or even waiting out the last stage of their lives, it is often a much-needed benefit. Unfortunately, some people take advantage of a good thing and use it improperly, as is the case with fraudulent behavior. While reporting this kind of activity is important, it is also a serious leap to take. Before you report your suspicions, you should realize that the most important thing is to know all the facts, and to move forward only if you are certain you have a definite case of fraudulent conduct.
Blog comments
In reply to I know someone very well who by Jennifer (not verified)
Hi Jennifer,
Hi Jennifer,
If you suspect fraud, you can call the SSA and leave a report. 1-800-772-1213.
-Eric
I know someone that trying to
I know someone that trying to act crazy but is not..800.00. A month what the f&$@# !!!!
In reply to I know someone that trying to by Anonymous (not verified)
Hi there,
Hi there,
The SSA does make sure that applicants do have the conditions the claim they have, but if you need to contact the SSA regarding this, you can send them a letter with evidence here:
Social Security Fraud Hotline
P.O. Box 17768
Baltimore, Maryland 21235
My neighbor collects
My neighbor collects disability for having back problems, However has the ability to cary a 30 pound yard blower on his back for over two hours as he maintains his property on a weekly basis. He also has the ability to dig fairly big holes to plant over 4 fruit trees on his property weighing well over 75 pounds each. Lastly he has the ability to fix his fence with 2"x10"x20' foot boards. There are many other things he does, but my question is do I have grounds for reporting him?
In reply to My neighbor collects by anthony (not verified)
Hi Anthony,
Hi Anthony,
The more evidence you have the better your chances are for the SSA to determine if fraud is being committed.
-Eric
In reply to Hi Anthony, by Eric
Have video of him with the
Have video of him with the blower and pictures of the others.
In reply to Have video of him with the by Anthony (not verified)
Hi Anthony,
Hi Anthony,
You can send any evidence of suspected fraud to the SSA here:
Social Security Fraud Hotline
P.O. Box 17768
Baltimore, Maryland 21235
what if a child is getting
what if a child is getting disability checks but the parents work full time and arent reporting their income?
In reply to what if a child is getting by Anonymous (not verified)
Hi there,
Hi there,
That may not be fraud as the SSA determines a child's eligibility based what portion of the parent's income and financial resources would be available to the child. You may want to contact the SSA regarding this, you can report suspected fraud by calling the the toll-free Social Security Administration Fraud Hotline at (800) 269-027.
Can you collect Social
Can you collect Social Security Disability and money from the Veteran Administration? They get 4000. a month from V.A.
In reply to Can you collect Social by Sally (not verified)
Hi Sally,
Hi Sally,
Yes, a veteran may be eligible to collect social security and VA benefits, if they're collecting SSDI benefits then the VA benefits would not affect his or her eligibility.
My neighbor receives ssd and
My neighbor receives ssd and I'm sure she does have mental and physical reasons but, she deserves an academy award. Normally she moves around just fine without assistance from a cane. Picks up her dogs, walks up and down street, bends over to pick up poop, carries groceries from car etc. She is taking advantage of the system. That cane appears if she can get something for free, or to sway opinion in her favor. I witnessed this today when she had a delivery of a folding table. She also is working without reporting. Drives just fine etc. Anyway this is fraud and not sure what to do.
In reply to My neighbor receives ssd and by Marian (not verified)
Hi Marian,
Hi Marian,
You may want to contact the SSA's fraud reporting line at (800) 269-0271.
Hi there I have a question is
Hi there I have a question is it ealigle to draw disability benefits from one state and live in another if so I know of someone that is doing this and using their fathers address to be able to get their benefits how would I report this
In reply to Hi there I have a question is by Lynne (not verified)
Hi Lynne,
Hi Lynne,
That may be fraud, however if they are receiving SSDI benefits there would be no difference between benefits in one state or another as that program is a federal program.
What if your child's
What if your child's other parent starts forcing them to take meds that they don't need, makes up a false medical history to a doctor other than the child's primary Dr, and uses the false history and BS clinic visits to claim disability on the child? What can a parent do to get this stopped? DHS has an open case, but the determination seems money related.
In reply to What if your child's by Debbie (not verified)
Hi Debbie,
Hi Debbie,
If you feel that the parent is a threat to the child's health and welfare, you may want to contact your local police.
Can someone claim temporary
Can someone claim temporary disability and leave the country the entire time on vacation. I know this person is not hurt like he claims. He left the US the day he got divorced the beginning date of his claim to go see his girlfriend and remarry in the country he was born in. he is traveling and doing all sorts of physical activities. He is claiming frudulantly in order to travel and just have time off.
In reply to Can someone claim temporary by di (not verified)
Hi there,
Hi there,
That would not be possible as the government only awards benefits for permanent disabilities. If he is claiming short-term disability, then you may want to contact his policy holder to report any fraud.
I know a lady who is
I know a lady who is receiving SSI for her two mentally handicapped adult kids, but one of the kids lives with his Dad and she brags about it in the trailer park that she gets to keep it all and the son doesn't live with her. So basically, her son is not receiving his benefits.
In reply to I know a lady who is by JJ (not verified)
Hi there,
Hi there,
You may want to contact the SSA regarding this as they can re-assign that person's payee to someone who would use the benefits for their care and upkeep.
Can someone who receives ssi
Can someone who receives ssi leave the country for a long period of time?
In reply to Can someone who receives ssi by Martha manzo (not verified)
Hi Martha,
Hi Martha,
If your disability is based upon Supplemental Security income, or SSI, your payments will stop once you have been outside the United States for 30 days and your payments cannot be reinstated until you have been back in the United States for 30 days.
-Eric
I know someone who is
I know someone who is collecting disability and using drugs. Would that be fraud?
In reply to I know someone who is by Priscilla (not verified)
Hi Priscilla,
Hi Priscilla,
It may not be, however if their condition is worsened by using drugs, then they may become ineligible for benefits.
How to report when someone is
How to report when someone is on a leave of absence because she says she has carpal tunnel and had surgery but obviously she is on video not having any issues opening oysters with ease. No bandages from a surgery. She is scamming the system by doing this. It pisses me off when we work hard for our money and she scams the company into paying for her LOA.
In reply to How to report when someone is by vj (not verified)
Hi VJ,
Hi VJ,
I really could not say, but if she is receiving SSA disability benefits you can report any suspected fraud by calling the SSA Fraud Hotline at (800) 269-0271
What if someone recently got
What if someone recently got u.s citizenship...but resides in Mexico..and only comes in the states for doctors appointments? Once prescriptions are filled he goes back. Plus he still receives disability benefites from the U.S.
In reply to What if someone recently got by Anonymous (not verified)
Hi there,
Hi there,
I really could not say if this is fraud as it is possible to be eligible for benefits as a non-citizen. You may want to contact the SSA regarding this , you can do so by calling them at (800) 269-0271
My boyfriend lied on his
My boyfriend lied on his application and said he has no criminal record but he has numerous felonies involving money
In reply to My boyfriend lied on his by Cody (not verified)
Hi Cody,
Hi Cody,
That's not good! You may want to contact the SSA regarding this, you can find a listing of local SSA office here:
http://www.disability-benefits-help.org/content/social-security-disabil…
You can also call their fraud hotline at (800) 269-0271
My boyfriend lied about being
My boyfriend lied about being married in his application
In reply to My boyfriend lied about being by Sara (not verified)
Hi Sara,
Hi Sara,
You may want to contact your local SSA office about this, you can also contact the fraud hotline at (800) 269-0271
I know some men that's
I know some men that's selling junk everyday, they work in the back yard cleaning it from daylight to dark. But they are drawing their checks each month over 1600 per month plus child benifits.
In reply to I know some men that's by Just me (not verified)
Hi there,
Hi there,
You may want to contact the SSA regarding this, you can send them a letter here:
Social Security Fraud Hotline
P.O. Box 17768
Baltimore, Maryland 21235
If you are on disability, can
If you are on disability, can't you still work a part time job?
In reply to If you are on disability, can by Caroline (not verified)
Hi Caroline,
Hi Caroline,
You may be able to do so, but it's always a good idea to check in with the SSA before starting your job search to find out what restrictions on work you would have.
Hello I know someone although
Hello I know someone although not well. Who has told me they are unable to work due to a bad back. Yet I have just seen a video of them on facebook dancing along with a video on the tv. And recently have also taken custody of their grandchild
In reply to Hello I know someone although by Liz (not verified)
Hi Liz,
Hi Liz,
Because videos and pictures are not always posted immediately after they are taken, that may not be proof of this person committing fraud. In addition, taking custody of a loved one is not considered fraud.
How dose someone that is
How dose someone that is suppose to be on disabilty from taken in fumes from work but can build a new back deck, and roof them selves also being around a tractor in the garage when it runs at times, and they try to hide from our Security cameras for our own drive way. As well for our own saftey of our house and animals, and not for us to " spy on them " but putting up their own cameras and then have lights pointed in our direction of our cameras to make sure we can't see anything they do, they try to hide everything they do from us and it's really fishy.
In reply to How dose someone that is by Mac tack (not verified)
Hi Mac,
Hi Mac,
If you suspect fraud, you may want to send a letter with any evidence to the SSA here:
Social Security Fraud Hotline
P.O. Box 17768
Baltimore, Maryland 21235
In reply to Hi Mac, by Bryan
Thank you
Thank you
In reply to Hi Mac, by Bryan
Thank you
Thank you
In reply to How dose someone that is by Mac tack (not verified)
SSDI is your ability to work,
SSDI is your ability to work, all week, week after week, year after year in a job you did prior or could be retrained for. If you worked in corporate you are not expected to do garbage collection for examples. The requirements are thousands of pages long.
It does not mean one can't do anything else. As well I worked when smoking was allowed, and the apartment post building fire did illegal renovations, and "fumes" (highly toxic products, background in many areas, science and chemistry of arts materials). One job did renovations while workers were there, we had to evacuate. This is not uncommon. (this was in NYC skyscrapers where in older buildings toxic fumes from other levels would enter in through the office vents!)
At work sites we were all sitting ducks - the concentration of these fumes either on site or coming up through vents was so copious no filtration could handle them (I spent thousands on HEPPA and other machines). I ended up almost dead, with blood coming out of my pores from organs breaking down. These chemicals are both narcotics and anaesthetics. They paralyze many organ systems and do great cognitive damage - one can’t see this unless one is a highly trained M.D. in occupational and other areas of advanced degrees with lab work to back it up.
Did that MEAN I could never do anything as my health returned (entirely paid out of pocket due to my using natural therapies). No it did not.
I was essentially housebound however, (heavy smoking in NYC streets) and when I was able to walk (here's another, one question about functional ability is can you breathe, walk, climb stairs. Yes when I could walk with a walker it would take almost an hour to go about one block to the small park around the corner - in my medical - try to sit near green trees and plants. Breath, I was on constant oxygen for two years, yet at the time they did not have the small portable oxygen tanks, mine was 3 feet big. At one point the mind was gone, could not form a thought - can any one on the outside "see" that. (those chemicals do great cognitive damage)
Oh, and to help rehabilitate my muscles having an extensive background in art and sculpture, I would do so based on what I would have done in Occupational Therapy if I had obtained my Masters - I used art therapy to use non toxic paints to do a mural on the bathroom walls. What would have taken me a week or so, however took over a year...
That said, regarding this man, any amount of toxic chemical exposures can eventually lead to such an accumulation he ends up as many do, dead or like myself nearly so. Why he would risk any such condition and continue working around these toxic nasty chemicals is beyond me, even if outdoors or in a better ventilated place.
When at home, I could open windows (skyscraper windows are often sealed so people won't jump out) have filters or if working on projects - before I got ill, use OSHA standard masks with industrial strength exhaust fans. Our building did not - I often had to sleep outdoors in the cold to avoid the chemicals - and yes with a background and minor in City Government wrote to all and nothing was ever done until after 9/11 the fire department would come from around the corner and shut the project down - using tar products in the hall with no exhaust for example.
So again, be careful how you judge. Hopefully YOU will never have to go through the nightmare of SSD and the reason that brought you there. I did not know much of this prior either and truly wish I had been able to finish my Masters, not loose millions in wages, and now elderly have housing outside of HUD and finding the same toxic chemicals use. There are an estimated 79 million people with chemical injury (the chemicals all tested on animals btw) many dying, many living in cars tents, or homeless. Woman out in tents in the desert - one recently murdered. So who really would fake this? No one I know of.
In reply to SSDI is your ability to work, by slm (not verified)
Sorry to hear that, but thank
Sorry to hear that, but thank you for your insightful information!
-Eric
Hi my friend passed away 11
Hi my friend passed away 11 years ago n his gf filed to get money for her daughter but shes not his daughter but she made a claim so she could get money saying its his baby how do i go about reporting this?
In reply to Hi my friend passed away 11 by Ashley (not verified)
Hi there,
Hi there,
You may want to contact the Social Security Administration Fraud Hotline at (800) 269-0271.
My landlord collects a
My landlord collects a disability check and rent from me for renting her home and had told me she has not told disability about it. She freaked out cause social services sent her 2 checks when I first moved in and she said I was going to get her in trouble cause she wasn't claiming the house. I'm just sick of being harrased about rent when I pay it in full and I just feel it's not fair to the real people who have disability and are not committing fraud
In reply to My landlord collects a by Anonymous (not verified)
Hi there,
Hi there,
She may want to contact the SSA to determine what benefits she is receiving, if she's getting SSDI benefits, none of the things that she is doing would be considered fraud as there may be few restrictions on unearned income. You may also want to find another place to live as that lady sounds unpleasant.
My daughters fathers girl
My daughters fathers girl friend said on facebook that he works under the table and he is receiving ssi if i have a screen shot of that is that good proof
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