Even more so for families with special needs. Children with autism are eligible for Supplemental Security Income to help offset their care.
An Ulster County mom who relies on that money was devastated when her identity was stolen after using an ATM.
The scammer managed to change her address and steal her baby's money.
Her card got skimmed. She needed cash to get her kids' hair done and ran into a bodega to use the ATM. It must've had a skimmer on it to steal the card and the PIN. Before she knew it, her account was cleaned out.
3-year-old Skye doesn't say much yet.
But like most kids with autism, she understands everything.
"She's funny. So, I dance and she loves to eat," said Shanequa Hinton, mother. "She says little words now here and there. Her school is amazing. And she does therapy every day and speech."
Her loving mom has her hands full. This working mom is raising four kids. She receives benefits to help with Skye's special needs.
"Her doctors are far, I don't have a car," she said.
More than $900 a month gets directly deposited onto a debit card from the Social Security Administration. But, five months ago the money was mysteriously missing.
"They took it the same day. It's like somebody that knows what that card is for because they took out everything the first was they know. The first is when you get your money," Shanequa said.
When she called Direct Express they told Shanequa, "She closed her old account and had a new card issued."
"I don't know how this happened, but that wasn't me," she said.
Shaequa says it was right after she used her card to get her kid's hair done, and then took money out at a bodega in Poughkeepsie when the card was skimmed.
The scammer managed to change Shanequa's address from New Paltz to a home in Massapequa, Long Island. The Social Security card, the new one, and then someone was able to steal all of Skye's monthly benefits.
Despite filing a police report, her fraud claim was denied.
It was back in February when whoever stole her identity took all that money out of Sky's account, $945.
"Well, I called every day. No one would answer me. They would hang up. When I went to the police station, they tried to help me as much as possible, but it was just a dead end for a long, long time until I reached out to you guys because my mom told me to," her daughter said.
"I said, Shaniqua, the only thing we can do is call 7 On Your Side," Sandra Hinton, Shaniqua's mother said.
She had unsuccessfully been trying to get her money back from SSA for six months.
Then, 7 On Your Side got involved.
"The same day after he called me and said he called them Direct Express and spoke to them the same day the money was on my card," Shanequa said. "I couldn't believe it. But I knew you could do it. I knew you could do it."
To stay safe from skimming:
- Run your card as credit, not debit if possible
- Tap with chip technology and avoid swiping
- Avoid card readers that look heavily used or damaged
Social Security scammers are on the rise
7 On Your Side is always warning for people not to fall for emails saying "Here's a new login," but now there really is a new login to access Social Security.
First of all this is free. If you get a solicitation to pay for a change, or someone wants money to assist you in accessing your monthly benefits, that's a scam.
The email that changes are coming on how to access Social Security online services will redirect you to a secure website, login.gov.
It's very important to make sure you are on .gov and never .com.
You can also access benefits by verifying your identity through id.me, another government website that does not end in .com.
Go directly to SSA.gov and don't click on any links.
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