Social Security’s ‘Anti-Fraud’ Policy Just Made Things Worse—Here’s What You Need to Know

So here’s the scoop. Earlier this year, Social Security rolled out a new rule to stop scammers from stealing benefits over the phone. The idea was to make people wait three days after calling to claim their benefits, giving the agency time to double-check identities and catch any fraud.

Sounds like a good plan, right? Who doesn’t want their money protected?

Well… turns out, this plan didn’t really work out the way anyone expected.

What Actually Happened?

Instead of catching a ton of fraudsters, the new rule just slowed everything down. Claim processing took a big hit — it got 25% slower. That meant thousands of people, especially seniors who rely on this money every month, were stuck waiting way longer than they should.

And here’s the crazy part: out of more than 110,000 phone claims, the agency only flagged two as possible fraud. Two. That’s it.

Who Got the Short End of the Stick?

Mostly older folks and anyone living paycheck-to-paycheck who really depend on Social Security to pay bills or buy groceries.

To make things worse, at one point, the Social Security folks said, “Hey, you’ve gotta verify your identity in person now.” Which, for many people — especially those who don’t drive or live far from Social Security offices — was a huge hassle.

So, What Happened Next?

People got upset. Lawmakers and advocacy groups pushed back hard, and the Social Security Administration quickly reversed that in-person rule. Now, you can still verify your identity over the phone like before.

But the whole “slow down claims to stop fraud” policy? It’s still a mess. Lots of delays, lots of frustration, and barely any fraud caught.

Why Did This Happen?

Fraud’s a tough problem. Social Security has to protect itself from scammers without making life miserable for the millions who actually need those benefits.

Sometimes, when you try too hard to prevent fraud, the folks who rely on the system end up getting stuck in the middle.

What’s Next?

The agency has some serious thinking to do. They need to find smarter ways to fight fraud that don’t cause long waits or headaches for people.

What Can You Do?

Keep an eye on your Social Security statements. If something feels off, report it ASAP.

And if you’re waiting forever or feel stuck, reach out for help. Don’t let the frustration get the best of you — there are people and resources out there ready to assist.

This anti-fraud rule was supposed to help protect your money, but it ended up causing more trouble than it was worth.

The good news? Social Security’s listening and making changes. Hopefully, better solutions are on the way.