Ex-wife tried to steal my social security

[roberto73]

What is the name of your state? Miss.

Got a letter from SS claiming my bank was changed.

I called the local Social Security office and asked. And rep added my correct bank, said someone tried to access it online and he put some security alerts on the account. Didn't think much of it, figured someone overseas was trying random passwords on a bunch of accounts including mines.

Told my son about it over lunch and showed him the paper and he points out I am completely wrong. This is not an attempt, it says someone actually accessed the account and put a different bank on the account to get my deposits. Immediately I thought my ex wife (I know call me a nutcase, but this is something she would do).

I called the Social Security office back and spoke to someone else and she confirmed that's what happened. She told me the bank the unauthorized person changed it to. The bank is a very small local/regional bank with about 20 branches. They are mostly in another state but they have a location near here and you guessed it that's my ex-wife's bank. I asked the rep what account number was added and she definitely knows the account number added but would not tell me "it's not your bank so I can not disclose other people's information". HELLO, it's my social security account.

Seems like the social security office just wants to correct fraud but not do anything about it. How can I get more information? The bank account number it was changed it? Who changed it? etc. Do you think cops would care?

Edit: There are a TON of social security scams but they are all the same: someone overseas calls you pretending to be social security and get your personal information. I am sure if you reported that they would just tell you not to talk to those scammers or them [cops] i.e. don't waste our time for this b/s. But this is completely different, I never gave anyone my information and the only person that would know all of this information is the ex-wife and she/thisperson actually changed the bank.

 

[quincy]

What is the name of your state? Miss.

Got a letter from SSA claiming my bank was changed.

I called the local Social Security office and asked. And rep added my correct bank, said someone tried to access it online and he put some security alerts on the account. Didn't think much of it, figured someone overseas was trying random passwords on a bunch of accounts including mines.

Told my son about it over lunch and showed him the paper and he points out I am completely wrong. This is not an attempt, it says someone actually accessed the account and put a different bank on the account to get my deposits. Immediately I thought my ex wife (I know call me a nutcase, but this is something she would do).

I called the Social Security office back and spoke to someone else and she confirmed that's what happened. She told me the bank the unauthorized person changed it to. The bank is a very small local/regional bank with about 20 branches. They are mostly in another state but they have a location near here and you guessed it that's my ex-wife's bank. I asked the rep what account number was added and she definitely knows the account number added but would not tell me "it's not your bank so I can not disclose other people's information". HELLO, it's my social security account.

Seems like the social security office just wants to correct fraud but not do anything about it. How can I get more information? The bank account number it was changed it? Who changed it? etc. Do you think cops would care?

Edit: There are a TON of social security scams but they are all the same: someone overseas calls you pretending to be social security and get your personal information. I am sure if you reported that they would just tell you not to talk to those scammers or them [cops] i.e. don't waste our time for this b/s. But this is completely different, I never gave anyone my information and the only person that would know all of this information is the ex-wife and she/thisperson actually changed the bank.

https://www.ssa.gov/fraud/#:~:text=How To Report Fraud,allegation and take appropriate action.

A suspicion that your ex wife is involved somehow in diverting your social security funds to another account is not evidence that your ex wife is involved in diverting your social security funds to another account.

 

[Bali Hai Again]

What is the name of your state? Miss.

Got a letter from the SSA claiming my bank was changed.

I called the local Social Security office and asked. And rep added my correct bank, said someone tried to access it online and he put some security alerts on the account. Didn't think much of it, figured someone overseas was trying random passwords on a bunch of accounts including mines.

Told my son about it over lunch and showed him the paper and he points out I am completely wrong. This is not an attempt, it says someone actually accessed the account and put a different bank on the account to get my deposits. Immediately I thought my ex wife (I know call me a nutcase, but this is something she would do).

I called the Social Security office back and spoke to someone else and she confirmed that's what happened. She told me the bank the unauthorized person changed it to. The bank is a very small local/regional bank with about 20 branches. They are mostly in another state but they have a location near here and you guessed it that's my ex-wife's bank. I asked the rep what account number was added and she definitely knows the account number added but would not tell me "it's not your bank so I can not disclose other people's information". HELLO, it's my social security account.

Seems like the social security office just wants to correct fraud but not do anything about it. How can I get more information? The bank account number it was changed it? Who changed it? etc. Do you think cops would care?

Edit: There are a TON of social security scams but they are all the same: someone overseas calls you pretending to be social security and get your personal information. I am sure if you reported that they would just tell you not to talk to those scammers or them [cops] i.e. don't waste our time for this b/s. But this is completely different, I never gave anyone my information and the only person that would know all of this information is the ex-wife and she/thisperson actually changed the bank.

I assume you mean she also knew your user ID and password? That would not be smart at all. I would change the password if you haven’t done so already. Then once you are sure the funds are sent to the right bank account, block the SS account.

 

[quincy]

Here is a link to Mississippi’s Identity Theft law, which is something you might want to explore:

https://law.justia.com/codes/mississippi/2020/title-97/chapter-45/section-97-45-19/#:~:text=A%20person%20who%20violates%20this,(%2410%C000.00)%2C%20or%20both.

 

[roberto73]

Thank you.

So I called the 1-800 number and found out some additional information. Someone went to login.gov and made an fake account with my information. You can change your social security by either making an account on ID.me or login.gov. Account was created June 1. And the rep read me the email address used on the fake account and it's my ex-wife's deceased step grandmother's first and last name @hotmail.com.

Very unusual for a random hacker to know my ex-wife's step grandmother's name, who passed away before the ex-wife was even born.

Should I file a police report? Do you think they will care? Technically speaking it is a crime to make an accout on login.gov with someone's info and try to steal their social security deposits. Or do you think they will just say, we can't do anything, she already knew your info and good thing you changed it back in time.

 

[Taxing Matters]

As it was done on on a federal government computer for federal government accounts, it's the federal government that may be more interested and have more capability to deal with it since the SSA Inspector General will be able to access confidential government and personal information on the SSA system that local and state police can't do. That's not to say that you shouldn't report it to the local police/sheriff too, since state laws were probably also violated, but that you may want to also report it to SSA Inspector General's fraud unit as well.

 

[quincy]

Thank you.

So I called the 1-800 number and found out some additional information. Someone went to login.gov and made an fake account with my information. You can change your social security by either making an account on ID.me or login.gov. Account was created June 1. And the rep read me the email address used on the fake account and it's my ex-wife's deceased step grandmother's first and last name @hotmail.com.

Very unusual for a random hacker to know my ex-wife's step grandmother's name, who passed away before the ex-wife was even born.

Should I file a police report? Do you think they will care? Technically speaking it is a crime to make an accout on login.gov with someone's info and try to steal their social security deposits. Or do you think they will just say, we can't do anything, she already knew your info and good thing you changed it back in time.

I am a bit surprised that you learned as much as you did (e.g., the email address) from a phone call.

You can report the possible hacking/identity theft to your local police and you can file a report with the SSA. The SSA will pass on your information to the Office of Inspector General (OIG) for investigation and the OIG will/can in turn contact your state/local authorities.

 

[AlmostThere]

As a side note, you also be following the guidelines here: https://www.usa.gov/identity-theft

And especially put alerts on the credit reporting agencies in case whomever is misusing your social security number tries to use it elsewhere.