From a press release:
Ivie Shevon Sajere has been sentenced for her role in a conspiracy that defrauded the Social Security Administration (“SSA”) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) out of nearly $1,000,000. The conspiracy involved the false filing of thousands of online applications for SSA retirement benefits and FEMA disaster benefits using stolen personal information. …
“This sentence holds Sajere accountable for her role in this complex conspiracy to defraud the Social Security Administration, alone, of nearly seven hundred thousand dollars. She stole personal information of innocent people and used it to defraud the SSA by abusing its online services,” said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General, for the Social Security Administration. …
2 comments:
No joke, the characteristics for these cases were all red flags.
Why would someone who was gainfully employed in the prior year and had six figure earnings be using a Green Dot, Metabank or other cash card for their Social Security direct deposit?
SSA needs to revise the policy in these cases to preclude release of past due benefits at the time of adjudication if a cash card was used until a face-to-face interview is done.
Also, slight snicker that yet again, it is actually a Nigerian who was part of the scam. I guess some stereotypes will be true better than half the time.
Hard to tell from the article but did these people have MySSA Accounts? The reason I ask is because if they have a MySSA Account and that was hacked to produce the retirement application, that’s a whole other issue.
If the retirement applications were filed online WITHOUT a MySSA Account established, then they come through as “unverified” and we need to speak to the claimant or have a signed application or have them come in with ID prior to processing the claims into pay.
Now add the fact that the employees processing the claims (generally the WSU units, not the FO’s) actually have to give a damn and not be feeling the pressure to just adjudicate the application sin verification.
It also says the prepaid cards were added after the applications were processed I believe.
Post a Comment