Benefits / Social Security Fraud

This video essay discusses political corruption allegations in India, focusing on how the BJP appears to avoid corruption charges while opposition parties face various scams and legal actions. The video then explains the 2G spectrum scam of 2008, where the Indian government allocated mobile spectrum to companies at artificially low prices through administrative allocation rather than auction, resulting in an estimated loss of 1.76 lakh crore to the national treasury—a controversy that contributed to the fall of the UPA government and led the Supreme Court to cancel 112 spectrum licenses in 2012. **Note:** This is a political commentary/educational piece rather than a scam affecting individual elders, so it falls outside the typical scope of

Tennessee has reimbursed over $933,000 to SNAP benefit recipients whose EBT cards were fraudulently used through skimming, cloning, and phishing scams that drained thousands of accounts. Nearly 8,000 people submitted replacement requests since the state began accepting them in fall 2023, with approximately 78% of reviewed claims approved. The USDA reported over 162,000 fraudulent SNAP transactions nationally in fiscal year 2023 totaling $30 million, prompting calls for federal solutions including microchip technology and enhanced security measures on EBT cards.

**Social Security Scams Rise with New Account Access Option** As the Social Security Administration launches a new way for people to access their accounts, scammers are exploiting the change using common tactics like phishing emails and threatening phone calls claiming Social Security numbers have been compromised or suspended. The SSA warns that legitimate access to Social Security is always free; any solicitation for payment, threats of arrest, account freezing, or demands for personal information are scam indicators and the agency will never contact citizens in this manner.

During Medicare open enrollment season, scammers impersonate Medicare representatives and insurance agents to trick people into revealing personal information such as Social Security numbers, banking details, and Medicare ID numbers through unsolicited calls, texts, and phishing emails. The BBB has received frequent reports of these fraudulent schemes, which target millions of people seeking insurance plans and can result in identity theft or sale of personal data on the black market. Consumers should verify contacts by hanging up and calling official numbers directly, be wary of anyone offering limited-time enrollment offers, and avoid sharing personal information with unsolicited callers.

**Summary:** Scammers target veterans by impersonating government representatives and fraudulently offering loan forgiveness, mortgage aid, or grants in exchange for upfront processing fees. Veterans and their spouses experience higher median losses to scams than average consumers, particularly through employment scams that exploit frequent military relocations. The BBB advises veterans to never pay upfront for loans or grants, never share personal information with unsolicited callers, and remember that the government communicates via mail only—never by phone, email, or social media.

During open enrollment season, scammers are targeting people with unsolicited robocalls and text messages offering free incentives like groceries or housing to enroll in health insurance, then requesting personal and financial information to "confirm eligibility." KC Care warns consumers to avoid these scams by only initiating enrollment themselves and working with licensed, trained insurance navigators rather than responding to unsolicited contacts, with free navigator services available through official channels like GetCovered.org (Kansas) and ShowMeCoverage.org (Missouri).

EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) and SNAP benefits theft scams have surged across Alabama, with the Alabama Department of Human Resources receiving thousands of reimbursement requests in November alone. A federal authorization that allowed replacement of stolen SNAP benefits expired on December 21, 2024, though the state indicated it would continue processing reimbursement affidavits for fraud incidents occurring on or before December 20th, leaving victims frustrated as new cases may no longer qualify for replacement funds.

A Twin Cities woman fell victim to a sophisticated employment scam involving fake virtual interviews for a high-level executive position and forged company benefits documentation designed to collect her personal information and cash. The scam was remarkably elaborate, mimicking authentic company processes and going through multiple interview stages before the victim discovered the fraud and contacted the actual company being impersonated, which confirmed they were unaware of the scheme.

An 80-year-old Japanese woman lost approximately $6,700 to a romance scam in which a fraudster posing as an astronaut stranded in space convinced her through social media chats that he needed funds for oxygen. Police identified this as part of a growing trend of romance scams targeting Japan's elderly and lonely population, with over 3,000 such scams reported in the first 11 months of 2024—more than double the 2023 total. Authorities have issued an advisory urging the public to report suspicious social media contacts demanding payment.

The National Cyber Security Alliance warns that scammers may impersonate government agencies like Social Security, Medicare, and SNAP through unsolicited texts, emails, or phone calls to solicit personal and financial information from victims. The government does not initiate contact to request such information, and people should hang up on suspicious calls and instead contact agencies directly or verify information through official channels.