By Marian Lark
Special to The SUN
In July, with American flags flying, we celebrate our nation’s birthday and the freedoms and protections we hold dear. Although love for your country can take many forms, Social Security takes preventing and combating fraud as seriously as we take our other vital missions.
Social Security has a zero-tolerance policy for fraud. In tandem with local law enforcement, we pursue criminals who cheat the system by collecting benefits that they’re not owed. This might be as subtle as someone intentionally failing to report income and resources or that they live with their spouse, which can result in incorrect payments. Fraud might take the form of someone claiming to be disabled when, in reality, they continue to work. These examples are why we also rely on you — the American public — to report fraud when you see it.
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