McSally, Collins seek Social Security protections for seniors

U.S. Sens. Martha McSally (R-AZ), Susan Collins (R-ME) and nearly a dozen members of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging recently requested information on whether federal Social Security scam protections are in place for America’s senior citizens.

“The committee has a long history of fighting financial fraud targeting seniors and their families,” wrote the senators in a Jan. 15 letter sent to Alex Azar, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “We expect the relevant federal agencies to share this commitment and take actions to protect older adults from this scam.”

A Social Security scam taking place around the country generally involves criminals impersonating Social Security staff and calling victims to fraudulently take money from them or to obtain their personally identifiable information, according to the lawmakers’ letter.

In one iteration of this scam, victims are told that their Social Security number has been suspended, that there is a warrant for their arrest, and additional information is needed from the victims to verify their identity, according to Sen. McSally’s office.

The senators want Secretary Azar, in his role as chairman of the Elder Justice Coordinating Council (EJCC), to provide information about the steps the EJCC has taken to coordinate federal efforts to protect Americans, especially seniors, from this Social Security scam, according to their letter, which is also signed by members including U.S. Sens. Richard Burr (R-NC) and Bob Casey (D-PA).

“We urge the EJCC to take a leading role in this effort,” wrote the senators. “Effectively combating the Social Security scam will take a government-wide response, and it is imperative that the EJCC take a leading role in coordinating this response.”