Social Security Tracker for December 24, 2025

Clickbait and Scams

Scam: "Alert: Social Security Account Issues Detected."

This scam involves an email with the subject line shown above. The message tries to convince you that your account is under criminal investigation by the SSA OIG but the Office of the Inspector General of the SSA reports that it is just a scam. Don't bother opening the attachment with the fake letterhead that warns of account suspension. Don't supply money or personal info to these scammers. Read this news article for more details.

Scam: "The Supreme Court is investigating you."

Many SSI recipients got a letter warning them that they are under investigation by the supreme court. Later they get a text and then a phone call which apparently is enough to fool some people into yielding information or money. Don't be fooled. The Social Security Administration has announced that SSI recipients should be cautious and avoid this sophisticated scam. Read this news article for more details.

Scam: "The Social Security Administration Needs to Confirm Something."

Some SSI recipients get a phone call or text asking then to confirm their birth certificate or their earnings. THe SSA only calls people regarding pending claims. Any other topic from a person claiming to be from the SSA is almost certainly a scam call.

Expert's Corner

I have discovered that a lot of the YouTube content creators that focus on Social Security and other retirement issues make a ton of money by accepting Chapter Advisors as their sponsors. Chapter recommends medicare plans and, just so you know, the likelihood is that the Chapter agent you talk to is not someone who resides in your state. Instead the agents rely on an engineered software system to make recommendations. Those recommendations are designed to make enough money to pay back the investors who poured millions of dollars into the development of this system. If you don't have many health issues, then the software primarily makes recommendations based on "savings" provided by so-called Medicare Advantage plans. In my view the "advantage" in advantage plans goes to the insurer because these cheap plans can end up costing the plan holder a ton if unexpected health conditions occur. It's a problem and anyone who accepts Chapter as a sponsor is part of the overall problem. Just my opinion but I must note that the two experts that I list below both post ads for Chapter.

Geoffrey Schmidt, CPA is a popular YouTube commentator who regularly posts on topics concerning retirement finances. In a recent video on his HolySchmidt! YouTube Channel, Geoffrey covered recent changes to the Social Security program and focused primarily on the issue of overpayments. If you have received an overpayment notice that will cause you hardship then he advises you to act immediately and either request a lower repayment rate (which is currently set at 50% of your monthly payment) and/or file an appeal (assuming the overpayment wasn't your fault.) Look for more details in this video.

Ed Weir is perhaps the most experienced and prolific regular commentator covering issues pertaining to Social Security. As a former SSA insider, Ed's MyGovExpert YouTube Channel is perhaps the single best place to go for answers to questions about Social Security.

In a recent video Ed reviewed Trump's promise in his proposed "skinny budget" not to touch Social Security benefits. He views this as good (no immediate cuts or raising the retirement age) but also bad because it fails to address the long-term solvency crisis. He reiterates that without action, across-the-board cuts (around 21-22%) are projected around 2033-2034, a fact known for decades.

For more of Ed's reactions to Trump's proposed budget pertaining to Social Security watch the first section of this YouTube video.

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This is a one man effort to help people understand what is going on with Social Security.

• I track social security payments to a small set of friends who are all Social Security recipients.
• I look over the SSA website availability stats daily.
• I lookout for clickbait and scams pertaining to Social Security.
• I hide any fake or non-pertinent news items.

My intention is to help people keep an eye on the Social Security system without wasting a lot of time doing so.

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