Feds paid Social Security to woman who
died in 1971—almost $460,000 in checks
Washington Times,
by
Stephen Dinan
Original Article
Posted By: Ribicon,
8/12/2020 11:25:22 AM
Social Security was still paying benefits this year to a woman who died nearly 50 years ago, and her nephew had been cashing the checks, federal prosecutors said Tuesday, collecting a staggering $459,000 over the years.
The government also paid out a $1,200 coronavirus stimulus check this year to the woman, who according to records would have to have been 114 years old—the second-oldest person on Social Security. In actuality the woman, identified only as AV in court documents, died in Brooklyn in 1971. But the government began paying Social Security six years later in 1977, and she was listed
Reply 1 - Posted by:
marbles 8/12/2020 11:34:49 AM (No. 507478)
The federal government proving that there is life after death .
16 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
Starboard_side 8/12/2020 11:55:19 AM (No. 507508)
The entire system is corrupted, and the data erroneous.
They sent out 1,100,000 stimulus checks to dead people.
If they want to have entire vote-by-mail system, let's have it established for 2024 when everyone can properly prepare, the voter rolls can be cleaned up (which they should be by LAW), which means they can't certify an election with bad data.
Also, incorporate a finger print technology system into the voting process. Most people getting any sort of ID have their finger print taken.
14 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
chance_232 8/12/2020 11:57:06 AM (No. 507509)
Which begs the question.... why are deaths not reported to the Fed automatically.
18 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
Safari Man 8/12/2020 12:09:11 PM (No. 507523)
#3 when my father died 4 years ago, the Neptune society sent me several death certificates and notified the SSA. All other notifications were my responsibility. Maybe back in ‘71 the system wasn’t in place, or had holes due to minimal computerization.
7 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
lakerman1 8/12/2020 12:13:17 PM (No. 507525)
This story is not unusual. And in just about every case I've read about, the perp does not go to prison.
(There is a federal requirement that funeral directors have to report deathjs to the Social Security Administration, but it may not have been in place in 1971.)
12 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
Proud Texan 8/12/2020 12:34:01 PM (No. 507556)
I'm not so sure the nephew is the one that needs to be in trouble for this. Seems to me like some bigger fish need fried.
7 people like this.
Did she vote too?!!!
6 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
john56 8/12/2020 12:37:03 PM (No. 507559)
Every SS recipient over 100 years old should be either required annually (1) to report to a SS office to confirm their status or (2) be visited by a SS officer to confirm their status (if they are unable to travel, are hospitalized, or in extended care situations) or payments would be suspended 90 days following their birthday until since confirmation is made. In other words, somebody in SS needs to see a live body every year. From what I understand, there are a bunch of 110 year olds collecting checks. Problem is, there aren't that many 110 year olds alive in the USA.
10 people like this.
When there is a flaw in the system, there are people who will find it and then spread the word. This is hardly the only one doing this. When people die no one is taking the responsibility to remove them from the government tit, or the voting rolls. And when they get caught, nothing happens to them, so why wouldn't they try it?
7 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
zephyrgirl 8/12/2020 1:05:05 PM (No. 507596)
There is nothing stopping the SSA from running a list of people over 100 and verifying that they're still alive.
If they show up at a house and the relatives can't produce a live body or a location for them, they should stop benefits. An appeals process should take care of any possible mistakes, but I'll bet there won't be many. The loophole has been closed, but obviously there are some people still collecting benefits for dead relatives.
6 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
GO3 8/12/2020 1:14:14 PM (No. 507604)
"We haven't reported the Captain dead yet. We've been collecting his whiskey ration." - Sgt. Crapgame, Kelly's Heroes.
5 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
john56 8/12/2020 1:43:27 PM (No. 507625)
This data is a bit old (2015), but SSA says that there were something like 4,000 inquiries from employers on "active" social security numbers for people over 112 years old (in 2015), although there are only about 40 people alive at the time that reached that age. While the article didn't say how many are getting SS checks, they did note that SSN for people originally born in 1869 and 1893 were used to open bank accounts.
You know, if somebody is using a Social Security Number under four digits, it's probably somebody who's dead :)
3 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
RuckusTom 8/12/2020 1:43:35 PM (No. 507626)
#8. Great idea, but why not make it 65 and older, or the first year someone is eligible for SS?
4 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
john56 8/12/2020 1:45:31 PM (No. 507627)
I think you usually have to apply for SS/Medicare in person. I turn 65 next year and will have to sign up for Medicare, so I'll let you know.
4 people like this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
Tanker76 8/12/2020 1:50:11 PM (No. 507634)
Don't have to apply in person - did mine all online and over the phone.
7 people like this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
DVC 8/12/2020 2:26:10 PM (No. 507667)
#14, I can tell you that you do not have to show up in person to sign up for SS. All done by mail or online in my and my wife's cases. We went no place to prove that we were living and who we said we were.
3 people like this.
Reply 17 - Posted by:
Highlander 8/12/2020 2:43:34 PM (No. 507690)
He got in too deep to quit. He said he wanted to stop but didn’t want to get caught. Real bright.
2 people like this.
Reply 18 - Posted by:
JimBob 8/12/2020 4:06:31 PM (No. 507743)
Died in 1971...... and she's been voting straight Democrat ever since!
1 person likes this.
Reply 19 - Posted by:
rytwng 8/12/2020 4:31:48 PM (No. 507753)
Does the nephew have to pay it back?
0 people like this.
Reply 20 - Posted by:
NYbob 8/12/2020 5:02:18 PM (No. 507777)
Hang the nephew in front of the Treasury building. When people complain, explain that the S.S. administration is trying something new to prevent fraud.
0 people like this.
Reply 21 - Posted by:
john56 8/12/2020 5:05:05 PM (No. 507782)
Thanks, #15 & 16, But like voting, maybe we should be required to show up.
0 people like this.
Reply 22 - Posted by:
john56 8/12/2020 5:08:34 PM (No. 507788)
Just re-read the article. This guy was a total fraud. Auntie died in 1971 but she didn't start collecting SS until 1977 -- six years after her death! I know you can apply on line or by phone or in person, but I didn't know you could apply from the coffin.
2 people like this.
Reply 23 - Posted by:
judy 8/12/2020 6:19:03 PM (No. 507853)
Funeral homes are required to notify social security....?????
1 person likes this.
Reply 24 - Posted by:
anniebc 8/12/2020 6:34:27 PM (No. 507860)
Fifty years of social security payments? Government, with its bad attitude employees, is inefficient and incompetent on so many levels.
0 people like this.
Reply 25 - Posted by:
Lawsy0 8/12/2020 7:38:10 PM (No. 507891)
Sounds like that poor little Jeffery Dahmer who had to keep killing 'em and eating 'em because he ran out of places to bury 'em. Aw. Tough life.
0 people like this.
Reply 26 - Posted by:
padiva 8/12/2020 9:07:26 PM (No. 507929)
I've had funeral directors notify SS about the deaths of family members. The funeral directors can authenticate the identity of the deceased.
1 person likes this.
With a smack on the wrist, he probably figures it was worth it. He is 76. What are going to do to collect it?
IRS will collect any way possible even after you die. They seem to know immediately when you die, so how did they miss his aunt? Please say she was buried at the time of death.
0 people like this.
Reply 28 - Posted by:
freightdog 8/13/2020 8:07:02 AM (No. 508226)
Always wondered how the Social Security Admin keeps track of all those non-citizens who come to the USA to work enough yrs to qualify for Social Security, pay into Soc Sec program, then retire to their homeland where they receive their Social Security benefit.
0 people like this.
Below, you will find ...
Most Recent Articles posted by "Ribicon"
and
Most Active Articles (last 48 hours)
Comments:
Probably a regular voter, too. Overworked and underpaid federal bureaucrats figure it's easier to kick back and let the money flow rather than devising systems to make sure these things don't happen (and we'd probably be startled to see how fraud there is).