Social Security "statement" or a scam?

[question everything]

Got this in my email and hovering over the sender does not reveal anything strange, like coming from gmail.

But this is strange. Some years ago I signed for the SS online but last fall decided not to use it anymore. Took me a while to talk to a live person to request that the notification of the benefits be mailed to me. This is really the only info that I was seeking.

From: [e-mail]

Your New Social Security Statement is now available

To:

Dear:

Your Social Security Statement is streamlined and easier to read than ever before. That is because we have redesigned the Statement to provide you the most useful information up front and at a glance.

We encourage you to check your Statement at least once a year to review:

- Your earnings record (to make sure it’s accurate and notify us if you see any errors);
- Your personalized monthly retirement benefit estimates (which now display how much you can expect to receive depending on when you decide to start your benefits between ages 62 and 70);
- Other useful information that will explain your benefits and help you prepare for your financial future; and
- New fact sheets that provide additional information based on your specific age group and earnings situation.

You can access your new Statement by signing into your account at socialsecurity.gov/reviewyourstatement.

Now that you can access your Statement instantly and anytime online, we will not automatically send one by mail.

We hope you find your new Statement useful and informative.

====

Can they arbitrarily determine not to send me anything by mail?

Did anyone else get something similar?

[CurtEastPoint]

1. read

https://faq.ssa.gov/en-us/Topic/article/KA-10019#:~:text=This%20is%20to%20remind%20you,my%20Social%20Security%20Message%20Center.

[question everything]

2. Thanks. Not sure if it helps me

I did expect referring to my Social Security but last fall I could not log there without downloading an "app" which I refused to do.

I may visit the local office and ask..

[eallen]

3. Could be legit, but you still should NOT click on any embedded link!

A phisher can take an email like that, replicate it, and change it so that when you clicked on what is displayed as socialsecurity.gov/something, it actually takes you to the phisher's website. Which also is replicated to look like Social Security's website.

DO. NOT. USE. LINKS. EMBEDDED. IN. EMAIL.

Just don't.

Go to another tab. Type out, on your keyboard by hand, "socialsecurity.gov."

[question everything]

4. No, of course not. I will print it and take it to the nearest office of SS

[AllaN01Bear]

5. i learned a long time ago, 1 do not click on anything you dont knnow.

way back i was running susie linux. my late nutjob rw dad sent me an e mail if i ever got close to the email w mouse , the gui would cras.2 ss will only send letter unless they have changed communication types . still . id call

[brush]

6. Didn't you get your benefit statement in the mail for tax purposes?

I wouldn't trust anything but hard copy info in the mail from SS.

[question everything]

8. No, this is not the total for the year which I do, but for the monthly benefits

Usully around December the SS issues the notifications of the coming year benefits and the deduction for Medicare.

For example, for 2024, after the increase, the monthly benefit would be $1474.70 and after deduction for Medicare - $174.70 for everyone - the net amount deposited in my bank account would be $1,300.00.

I used to find these amounts when I would go online, but since last fall was a disaster I requested, and received it by mail.

[Wonder Why]

7. It's legit. But never click on links. Just go to their site.

[question everything]

11. And once I go to their site, then what? Last fall I had to download an "app" so decided to forget about it

I may be able to talk to a live person. In the first two months of the year wait time was more than an hour. Then they allowed to leave a phone number for a call back.

I really want them to delete my email address and contact me only by mail. And the only information that I need is at the end of they year - the amount of new benefits and the Medicare deduction. Works fine for my spouse whose email they do not have.

[Wonder Why]

19. You don't have to do anything if you don't want to use the online service. Just consider the emails as

reminders you should be keeping track of social security benefits and numbers.

I rarely log on - only if I have to have some info right now. But when I get notified that I could use their portal to see the new numbers, I know to look for a letter in the mail soon with the information or it reminds me to call to ask the question I may have forgotten about.

Social Security doesn't bombard you with emails nor does it send personal info like numbers via email so both your state of mind and privacy are protected. Just look at their emails as a way to remember what you should be thinking about and when. Then delete them.

It's the government trying to help you, not some private financial company trying to sell you some overpriced Thor unnecessary service. Think of it that way and stop making a big deal of it.

[dweller]

9. I'm unaware of any

App for soc sec
Most info can be found online at their website. You can opt to receive statements in the mail there once you login


✌🏻

[question everything]

12. I had to download an app to login. Or, get a complicated strings of letters. I do not remember the option

to use the mail. May check it.

[dweller]

13. Was it ID Me ?

That’s not Soc Sec but an identity app . It clears you for specific purposes where you have to identify yourself.

I had to get it for something I can’t now remember …



✌🏻

[question everything]

15. I don't remember. I thought that I was logging to mySocialSecurity and I had to change my password

it was so complicated that I just decided to forget about it.

Really the only time I would login would be at the end of the year to find out the new benefits for the coming year.

I had to use ID Me for the EFTPS for the estimated tax payment.

Oh no, will have to use it again in a few weeks.. And I do not remember what I used..

[dweller]

16. You can login to ID ME. and

Request password info/change thru email etc

When I login to SSA.gov they send me a code thru email to enter to prove it’s me … not complicated since code comes thru email . That’s after I put in my name and password. Then the sent code lets me into my account.

Good luck



✌🏻

[IbogaProject]

10. Usually a lag with changes like that

I'd give it 4 to 6 weeks before I doubt the change went in.

[usonian]

14. A few thoughts.

I get emails regularly from SSA that are quite legitimate in my techie estimation.

The links in them are not only to ssa.gov (which is legitimate) but expand to a pile of characters after ssa.gov which MAY be a code unique to me (as spammers do! ) but I don't know why they are there, so I don't click on them.

I just go to ssa.gov.

socialsecurity.gov redirects to ssa.gov.

I have an account there but they still send paperwork a few times a year.

As with all emails, the best policy is to go to a trusted website (ssa.gov) and start there.
Or call (good luck with that).

[slightlv]

17. This is my experience also.

I don't ever remember having to download an app but I want to think I had to validate a security code thru either email or phone. I've done this several times for me and hubs. I'm signed up to get stuff online, but they also send stuff... Valid stuff... Through the mail. Hubby never gets his 1099s anymore, I have to go up and FL them myself.

[usonian]

18. Login lately is via id.me or another one

Logins are down at this time, of course.
I signed up before these became the law of SSA

HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SCAMS
https://www.ssa.gov/scam/

Answers OP quite directly.

Identity is the final frontier. It’s a mess disaster and monopolies ( Apple, Google, Microsoft etc. ) are trying to own the space.

Those “codes” called TFA (two factor authentication) can be hacked quite easily.

I’m working on it.
In my spare time.