Don't fall for Social Security scam
Clark Howard, WSB-TV consumer adviser
It's spring, and that means wedding bells are ringing all over metro-Atlanta.
And one of the many things on a new bride's to-do list is legally changing her name. Well, an offer to do just that has been turning up in metro Atlanta mailboxes.
Consumer adviser Clark Howard says this service could do more harm than good.
Mari Taylor found the offer in her mailbox.
"I thought it was something from the Social Security Department," she said.
No, it was a letter from a company called Federal Document Service -- a self-proclaimed non-governmental agency.
The letter quickly targets newlyweds saying "County records indicate you have changed or will soon change your Marital status, and that "you should update this data with the Social Security Administration. Great idea, but there's a problem: Mari isn't a newlywed.
"We've been married for four and a half years, so they are a little slow in figuring that out," she said.
They may be slow, but Mari was quick in figuring out this was a bad idea.
"I've read a lot about identity theft, and I went - 'what a perfect way to get everybody's information. You've got their date of birth, their marriage certificate, their social security number -- everything.
The letter did have a local number for a marriage records department, but that turned out to be a Marietta residence. And no where, was there a phone number to reach the company.
You're suppose to blindly send a $14 check, and all your vital personal info, to this Atlanta P.O. box.
It's a strikingly similar offer to one a federal judge shut it down in May of 99.
"When you release information like this to other folks, you are putting your own identity in jeopardy," said Cornelius Burke, a Social Security official.
This could be very dangerous.
"Because they have your information, they can get your number," Burke said.
"A card would be issued to them within 7-10 days," he said.
Don't give out your personal information to anyone who solicits you through the mail or over the phone.
If you can't call the company, don't do business with them. Identity theft is the No. 1 white collar crime in America. If you need to change your name, social security officials say you can do it for free 3 different ways: you can go in person; go online; or call their 800 number.
So paying a company like this $14 is a waste of money, and a risk you don't need to take.
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