Aristarchus (@RevBaker)

For those receiving Social Security payments sent to direct deposit at a bank, there is a scam afoot that allows hackers/impersonators to reroute your deposit to another account. SSA has two initiatives to solve this...not very convenient but may be worth your time. The first is the eServices block — This prevents anyone, including you, from seeing or changing your personal information online. Once we add the block, you or your representative will need to contact your local office to request its removal. The second directly addresses the Direct Deposit fraud - The Direct Deposit Fraud Prevention block — This prevents anyone, including you, from enrolling in direct deposit or changing your address or direct deposit information through my Social Security or a financial institution (via auto-enrollment). Once we add the block, you or your representative will need to contact your local office to request its removal. You will need to do the same to make any future changes to direct deposit or contact information. You cannot revert these things with a phone call, you'd have to visit an SS Office to have the change made. You can, however implement either of these blocks with a phone call but don't try it through their call centers as they know nothing about this and will try to have you make an appointment and go to a physical SS Office. Instead, ask to be transferred to you nearest SS Office and talk to them. They seem to know what this program is all about. Went round and round with the call center telling them that I don't want to change shit, just have the block put on to protect the existing data. Oh no...that's a change, they said. Well it's horsecrap. Did this for my wife and myself over the phone with the local office.