Posted on 07/30/2012 12:33:59 PM PDT by Cementjungle
Just a heads up for those who are collecting SS benefits (retirement in our case).
My wife discovered that someone changed her direct deposit information to a bank called Columbia bank, so she had to go to the SS office to try and straighten it out. This month's payment can't be recovered, but she hopes that next month's can be redirected back to the proper account.
The woman at the SS office said there was a major security breach in their systems in January, and this month alone there were over one million accounts changed to this Columbia bank (which is a pass-through to banks in Russia and India).
And we are expected to trust these incompetents with our personal medical information too?
Oh, this month’s payment CAN be recovered
You need to demand an investigation by both your Congress critter and your Senator of a senior citizen defrauded out of her check and the SS administration doing a shoulder shrug
Squeak those wheels
Get your bank involved, too, even if they say its not their fault
There is a special investigating organzation for bank fraud and it DOES get noticed
Your wife and your wife need to change every password and get a copy of your credit reports
The government is TOTALLY responsible. They have to take the loss and reimburse the funds. The bank is responsible for identifying their customers under all state banking regulations. So is the government!
similar story from November last year
Contacting the local news, especially if you have one of the reporters who specialize in investigating things, is one way to draw attention and get it fixed as well. Many times they will say the money is lost because they do not want to be bothered working on it.
The administration is probably behind it. Looking for a little extra campaign cash.
Squeak those wheels
Exactly.
And, even if the payment can't be recovered, think how much more anti-government noise it can make than a political contribution of the same size.
Yyyyyyyup!!
I thought there were all sorts of passwords and stuff needed to change your DP. How did those perps manage to get that information?
Banks have the ability to directly access the Social Security systems. So, it appears that someone at this Columbia bank got a batch of data and ran them through directly to the SS systems.
Exactly (a clue). At a time when my credit card company calls me that night when I charge something “unusual” on my card to make sure it’s legitimate, yet a “million accounts changed to this Columbia bank.” Sounds like Sgt Shultz is on the job.
Sounds to me like she just made a donation to the “ReElect Obama” campaign!!!!
Spouse currently receiving monthly check, has been receiving a flyer with the check for the last few months saying to get online and sign up for automatic deposits.
This month the flyer says “When disasters strike, we can’t deliver paper checks.” Ha-ha. Then, beneath that it says, “You are required to switch. Don’t wait.”
People have until the end of this year to sign up.
What do you mean, “This month’s payment can’t be recovered”.
If my employer changed my direct deposit based on false information, I would expect them to cough up the dough. I would not be liable for their mistake.
The representative at the SS office told her that in order for her to recover this month's payment, SS has to first be able to recover it from whomever it went to in Armenia or wherever.
We’ll be hearing about this several times a week for the next several months as Rush Limbaugh integrates this story into his mid-segment LifeLock ads.
Apparently, anyone at any “bank” can alter the SS systems directly to start receiving someone’s deposits. I don’t think LifeLock would be able to detect that.
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