Mar 5, 2017

Imposter Phishing Scheme

     From a press release:
The Acting Inspector General of Social Security, Gale Stallworth Stone, is warning citizens about a nationwide telephone “imposter phishing” scheme.  The Social Security Administration (SSA) and its Office of the Inspector General (OIG) have received several reports from citizens across the country about persons receiving phone calls from individuals posing as OIG investigators.  The caller indicates an issue exists pertaining to the person’s Social Security account or Social Security number (SSN) and directs the person call a non-SSA telephone number to address the issue. 
The reports indicate the calls include a recording from a caller stating she is “Nancy Jones,” an “officer with the Inspector General of Social Security.”  The recording goes on to say the person’s Social Security account, SSN, and/or benefits are suspended, and that he or she should call 806-680-2373 to resolve the issue.  Citizens should be aware that the scheme’s details may vary; however, citizens should avoid calling the number provided, as the unknown caller might attempt to acquire personal information. ...

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

The SSA OIG, along with the OSC, DOL and OGE, should also investigate the SSA/ODAR
Administration for waste, fraud and abuse for agreeing to relocate an ODAR Hearings Office near a former ROCALJ’s (Garmon) home, SOLELY to placate him for being removed from his ROCALJ position due to misconduct and wrongdoing, e.g., engagement in discrimination, harassment, creation of hostile work environments, PPP’s, refusal to adhere to Merit System Principles, and the enlistment of subordinate managers and other employees to carry out the harassment and other misdeeds. In addition, they should investigate why the Agency would find it fitting to assign an individual with this track record to an executive position with the Office of Labor Management Employee Relations (OLMER), which makes no sense whatsoever.

Anonymous said...

The SSA OIG, OSC and DOL should also investigate the SSA/ODAR Administration for current engagement in PUNITIVE Unfair Labor Practices to address the 1 million+ backlog of SSA Disability Cases for which they alone, and their failed management policies, are responsible for creating, e.g., threatening ALJ’s with denial of Telework, Reprimands, Suspensions, etc., for failing to schedule 50 hearings a month, regardless of whether their yearly dispositions average close to 500+/-; the length of time some of their cases may spend in other statuses, regardless of the reason; unreasonable monthly quotas of total number of decisions/dispositions issued, regardless of the reason; threatening Decision Writer’s with denial of Telework, Reprimands, Suspensions, etc., for failing to meet certain quotas for numbers of decisions written each month, regardless of the fact every case differs in size and complexity and the amount of work necessary to write a substantive quality decision; and similar threats made to SCT’s and CT’s.

Anonymous said...

There was a poster confused
who felt he was so persecuted
He posted the same
again and again
The audience felt abused

Anonymous said...

OMG how many times are you going to post the same thing over and over again? If you want any of the above to happen, I think you should spend more time reaching out to the proper authorities rather than posting the same ramblings over and over again to a blog.

Anonymous said...

Perseverance and Persistence are virtues.

Anonymous said...

@11:57

If, "The audience feels abused," why doesn't the audience do the right thing, step forward, and demand the type of Organizational Discrimination and Administrative Corruption engaged by Garmon and TPTB be stopped once and for all, rather than quietly and passively allowing it to continue and fester?

Anonymous said...

@2:24 stated, "If you want any of the above to happen, I think you should spend more time reaching out to the proper authorities rather than posting the same ramblings over and over again to a blog."

Check. Myriad times to myriad sources. Will not stop until the SSA/ ODAR Organizational Discrimination and Administrative Corruption is finally addressed and completely stopped. Indeed, why should Garmon not only be allowed to remain with the Agency as an ALJ, but in a Management position with OLMER, when the numerous career Federal employees he illegally forced out of their long term jobs for no reason were not even granted due process rights by him, or given the same opportunity to keep their jobs and careers, not to mention having an entire ODAR Hearings Office relocated close to his home? Why in the hell does this guy think he is so entitled to such special treatment, and why or why do the highest power brokers in SSA/ODAR not only find it necessary to cow-tow to his every whim, but position him as an executive with OLMER, given his track record and history dating back several years. What's good for the goose is good for the gander!

A guy said...

I just don't know what posting the same information/story does for anyone other than lengthen the comments section. No one who reads this blog cares at this point or attributes your reoccurring rant to anything related to the original article.

Tim said...

3:55 PM If YOU don't care, then don't read It! However, badgering, mocking, harassing, etc. just leads to more of her posts. Frankly, I'm tired of the trolls and naysayers who don't take her seriously.

Anonymous said...

Well, since we seem to be talking about different things which aren't necessarily the original post, I have a question for some of the experts who are part of this most excellent blog. If workers comp stops paying for workers comp claim medicals, when, if ever, can those medical expenses be picked up by medicare?

Anonymous said...

Look to kaiser and all of its fake businesses and its fake practices that infiltrated state & federal agencies like the SSA to get rid of American workers with their own worker comp & SSA & Medicare benefits, all to financially supplement people from other countries to work in these govt agencies to deny the American workers their own benefits. That's been the kaiser way that is know for bringing in billions of dollars every year. Kaiser gets rid of their own employees the same way and the FBI & DOJ with the courts are all protecting these abuses and we get none of our benefits and no due process since the 80's and the illegals and others are imported.A great way to dummy down employees and make billions of American tax dollars, tax free..The SSA IS RIGGED with the same WC DOL employed ALJ's as are the ALJ's in SSA/medicare and other agencies. dinajpadilla@gmail for those who need an ear and support.

Anonymous said...

???????????

Anonymous said...

@5:59

If you have Medicare and file for workers’ compensation, workers’ compensation pays primary (first) for all medical and prescription drug bills (claims) that are determined to be related to your injury.

If workers’ compensation doesn’t make a decision about paying your health care bills within 120 days, Medicare may make conditional payments for your bills. A conditional payment is when Medicare pays in place of workers’ compensation. Once the workers’ compensation claim is settled or a final decision or award is reached Medicare must be paid back.

If workers’ compensation denies a claim for a Medicare-covered service, Medicare should pay for the health care claim.

Sometimes workers’ compensation will only pay for some of the health care claims associated with an injury. For example, workers’ compensation might only pay part of your bills if you have a preexisting condition and your work injury made the preexisting condition worse. In this case, if the non-covered part of your bills are for Medicare-covered services, Medicare should pay these bills.

When you file a claim with your workers’ compensation you should also call the Medicare Coordination of Benefits Contractor (COBC) at 800-999-1118 and report the claim.

If you plan to settle your workers’ compensation claim, it is important to set aside funds in a special account called a “Workers’ Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Agreement.” This account is to pay future medical bills related to your injury and to repay Medicare for any conditional payments Medicare made. You will need a lawyer’s assistance to settle your claim and create this set aside agreement. Before reaching a workers’ compensation settlement, your lawyer should typically contact the Medicare Coordination of Benefits Contractor (COBC) to get Medicare approval of the amount you plan to put in the account.

You must typically use all of the money in your account for medical bills related to your injury before Medicare will start paying for your bills related to your injury. You or the organization that manages the account should keep track of how the money in the account is used. It is important to keep track of how the money is spent to prove to Medicare that the account funds were only used to pay your injury-related medical and prescription drug bills.

Anonymous said...

I agree with 11:57. I wish SA27 or whatever name s/he goes by would just give the constant repetition of allegations of assorted wrongdoing by SSA officials a rest. If you want to blog about it, then start your own blog.

Anonymous said...

12:37. In regards to WCMSA, It's a nice theory but doesn't work for those who are seriously injured. This Worker Comp scam is perpetrated by the SSA/Medicare. One of the greatest scams on the American people also called injured workers and sadly it is the American injured workers who suffer without medical care for their injuries because the insurer lies about what it okays for medical care. Just as the insurer lies to the SSA about what it will give for wage replacement that greatly offsets the injured workers SSA SSDI benefits and more often than not, The injured will get on the state funded program, SSI. The SSA has been refusing to investigate or share data concerning the injured workers charges or complaints. This has been going on since the latter 80's. Too, legislators representing these injured workers are refusing to do the same.

Anonymous said...

12:37 I have dealt with many WCMSA with no problem at all. How does it not work for seriously injured? What I have seen is that those who have trouble navigating the system are often confused as to what WC covers and what goes to Medicare to cover. Consumers often want a "one stop shop" for coverage and forget that WC only covers the injury incurred and not any pre existing or new condition. Prior and post injury conditions are covered under Medicare once approved for Medicare. Careful management through COBC is needed.

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much 12:32 and 12:37.
Sincerely,
5:59

Anonymous said...

@1:29 on March 7:

So, you are fine with all the Administrative corruption, organizational discrimination/hypocrisy, i.e., difference in treatment of the ills of Garmon in contrast to all his victims, horrific mismanagement which is directly responsible for the massive backlog, and waste, fraud and abuse caused by these dimwits, which taxpayers like you and I must pay?

Please answer why you are perfectly fine with this? Curious minds want to know. This has nothing to do with SA-27. To the contrary, there is a systemic problem involving numerous ODAR employees who were grossly mistreated, denied due process, and their lives destroyed while those responsible, like Garmon, are patted on the back , placed in OLMER, no less, the ultimate fox in the hen house, and never held accountable for their wrongdoing. Who in the hell do you think funds the costs of the misconduct engaged by these individuals? It sure as hell isn't Garmon, and his ilk. I can assure you their excessive salaries and bonuses have not been adversely impacted. So, why in the hell is this OK with you? Are you an idiot who does not understand the magnitude and costs, or do you just hate SA-27?

For heavens sake, someone needs to continuously present this issue over and over because TPTB, as we can all see, are certainly not doing so, and prefer to sweep it under the rug. You do not have to read such comments, but many of us want this Administrative corruption, and its immense costs, repeatedly raised until these morons address it, and they certainly are not racing to do that anytime soon. So, keep the issue in the spotlight as long as it takes. You and yours can kiss all our asses.