This is not a scam: Social Security needs you to update your account

You may have received an email recently from the Social Security Administration, telling you that you need to log in to your online Social Security account and update your details. It even includes a helpful link.

Many Social Security scam and phishing emails have made the rounds in recent years, so you may have assumed this was just another one. But as it happens, there is a genuine email landing in inboxes. We checked — and after we did, the Social Security Administration put a press release up on its website to make matters clearer for everyone.

The message? If you created an online Social Security account through the Social Security website before Sept. 18, 2021, you will need to log in and make changes.

“Customers who created an online account (e.g., my Social Security account) before September 18, 2021, will soon be required to transition to a Login.gov account to continue access to their online services,” the SSA says in a statement. “The agency is making the changes to simplify the sign-in experience and align with federal authentication standards while providing safe and secure access to online services.”

Translation: They are phasing out the old usernames and passwords. To maintain access to your account, you’ll need to log in using your old username and password and then follow the prompts to set up a new sign-in using Login.gov.

The problem is that Social Security scams are now almost as notorious as those involving a Nigerian prince. Crooks love to send out blast emails telling people there’s a problem with their Social Security account and that they need to log in immediately. They also include a link.

The Federal Trade Commission, in its advice to consumers about how to avoid getting taken in by phishing emails, says there are three common giveaways.

First, the greeting is generic. Second, the email warns you that your account has been blocked until you update your payment details. And third, it includes a link. “While real companies might communicate with you by email, legitimate companies won’t email or text with a link to update your payment information,” the FTC says.

The problem here is that the latest legitimate email from the Social Security Administration contains some variation on each of those warning signs. Until the press release went up, many people may have simply ignored or deleted it.

Online scams are more than a menace: They can be absolutely devastating for victims. Americans lost $10 billion to fraud last year.

The FTC advises that if you get an email from a company or organization that you do business with, “contact the company using a phone number or website you know is real — not the information in the email.” And don’t click on the links: “Attachments and links might install harmful malware” on your computer, the agency warns.

Having an online Social Security account is increasingly useful and important. Those who are already receiving benefits can use their online account for various purposes, such as setting up and changing their direct-deposit instructions and changing the address registered with the account. For someone not yet receiving benefits, the account can provide estimates of how much the person and their spouse will eventually receive.

That is pretty much the starting place for any retirement planning.

At the latest count, the Social Security Administration reports that 67 million Americans are receiving Social Security benefits, averaging $1,778 per month per person. Retired workers are receiving an average of $1,917, while the averages are lower for spouses, children and survivors. Social Security benefits account for about 30% of the total income of Americans over 65, and about two-fifths of seniors rely on the program for more than half their income.