If its not .gov its not Social Security
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[January 14, 2012]
When
you go on a road trip, you need to follow the signs to arrive at the
right place. Going online can be very much the same. Look for the
“.gov” at the end of the web address — if it isn’t .gov, it isn’t
the real Social Security website —
www.socialsecurity.gov.
Countless consumers nationwide
are victimized each year by misleading advertisers who use "Social
Security" or "Medicare" to entice the public to use their services.
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In many cases, these companies
offer Social Security services for a fee, even though the same
services are available directly from Social Security, free of
charge. These services include:
- updating a Social
Security card to show a bride's married name;
- replacing a Social
Security card; and
- getting a Social
Security number for a child.
These for-profit businesses
may cleverly design their websites, so when people use Internet
search engines, their advertisement pops up. They may even make
their advertisement look similar to the real Social Security
website. And some of these sites, at first glance, appear to be
affiliated with Social Security. But upon closer examination, these
are for-profit companies charging individuals for a service that is
provided free by Social Security.
For instance, a quick
Google search on “replacing a Social Security card” brings up paid
advertisements for websites that charge a fee just to get an
application for a new card. That service is absolutely free from
Social Security.
The law that deals
specifically with misleading Social Security and Medicare
advertising prohibits people or non-government organizations, like
for-profit businesses, from using words or emblems that mislead
others. Their advertising cannot lead people to believe that they
represent or are somehow affiliated with or endorsed or approved by
Social Security or the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
(Medicare). But that doesn’t stop advertisers from trying.
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For more information, you
can read our publication What You Need to Know about Misleading
Advertising at
www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10005.html.
When you go to
www.socialsecurity.gov,
make sure you look for the “.gov” sign along the way. Don’t be
tricked into paying a fee for a service that’s free. And remember:
if it isn’t .gov, it isn’t Social Security.
By Judith Bartels
Social Security District
Manager in Springfield, IL
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