San Antonio retirees are being urged to hover over the delete button this week after a federal watchdog flagged a surge in scam emails dressed up as official Social Security notices. The bogus messages tell people to download a “statement” or click a link, moves that can open the door to identity theft, malware, or straight-up financial loss.
In a press release from the SSA Office of the Inspector General, officials say they are seeing “a sharp increase in fraudulent emails” that look like the real thing. “Anyone who receives one should delete it immediately and report it,” Michelle L. Anderson, the OIG’s assistant inspector general for audit as first assistant, said in the release.
The alert lands just as many beneficiaries are watching for this month’s payments. Retirees with birthdays on the 1st through the 10th are scheduled to get checks on Wednesday, April 8, according to the Social Security Administration’s 2026 payment calendar. The warning was reported locally by MySA.
How the scam works
Scammers typically send emails claiming a Social Security statement is ready to download, then pack the message with links or attachments that can install malware or send victims to fake websites that harvest logins and banking details. The emails often copy official logos, colors, and stiff government language, and they lean on scare tactics or urgency so people click first and think later…