Fwd: Consumer Watch: Internet Companies That Charge For Free Social Security Services
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Tina Mooney
Aug 12, 2011, 11:06:11 AM8/12/11
to brain-inju...@googlegroups.com, Peggy O'Neill
Wanted to warn people about the following fraud alert.
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"All that we can't be is not who we are."
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sherrod Brown <Senato...@brown.senate.gov>
Date: Thu, Aug 11, 2011 at 3:35 PM
Subject: Consumer Watch: Internet Companies That Charge For Free Social Security Services
To: tinam...@gmail.com
Following a call for action from U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has released a consumer alert regarding Internet companies that charge consumers outrageous prices for basic assistance with free Social Security Administration (SSA) forms. In the July letter to FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz, Sen. Brown asked that the Commission raise public awareness about these companies, and that the SSA provides free, easy-to-use forms on its website.
“Americans need to know that filing for a new or replacement Social Security card is a simple and straightforward process. These Internet companies may not be breaking any laws, but they are profiting from consumer misinformation and confusion,” Sen. Brown said. “I applaud the FTC for taking quick action to inform consumers in Ohio and across the country that when it comes to filing for a new Social Security card, it’s best to ‘do it yourself.’ The required documents can be downloaded for free and contain basic questions that can be answered in a few minutes.”
The FTC’s alert, entitled “Need a Social Security Number or Replacement Card? Best to DIY,” can be seen here.
Sen. Brown’s letter followed a report in the Cleveland Plain Dealer about the Internet companies like sscardapplication.com and simplefilings.com that charge up to $44 to prepare short, simple documents that can be downloaded from the Social Security website for free and completed in about five minutes. These websites, however, often claim that the process for completing the form is “complicated and confusing” and “time-consuming and stressful.” For more information on Sen. Brown’s work for Ohio, please click here.
To opt-out from receiving these messages in the future, please click here to unsubscribe.
From: Sherrod Brown <Senato...@brown.senate.gov>
Date: Thu, Aug 11, 2011 at 3:35 PM
Subject: Consumer Watch: Internet Companies That Charge For Free Social Security Services
To: tinam...@gmail.com
*** Issue Update from the Office of Sen. Sherrod Brown ***
Following a call for action from U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has released a consumer alert regarding Internet companies that charge consumers outrageous prices for basic assistance with free Social Security Administration (SSA) forms. In the July letter to FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz, Sen. Brown asked that the Commission raise public awareness about these companies, and that the SSA provides free, easy-to-use forms on its website.
“Americans need to know that filing for a new or replacement Social Security card is a simple and straightforward process. These Internet companies may not be breaking any laws, but they are profiting from consumer misinformation and confusion,” Sen. Brown said. “I applaud the FTC for taking quick action to inform consumers in Ohio and across the country that when it comes to filing for a new Social Security card, it’s best to ‘do it yourself.’ The required documents can be downloaded for free and contain basic questions that can be answered in a few minutes.”
The FTC’s alert, entitled “Need a Social Security Number or Replacement Card? Best to DIY,” can be seen here.
Sen. Brown’s letter followed a report in the Cleveland Plain Dealer about the Internet companies like sscardapplication.com and simplefilings.com that charge up to $44 to prepare short, simple documents that can be downloaded from the Social Security website for free and completed in about five minutes. These websites, however, often claim that the process for completing the form is “complicated and confusing” and “time-consuming and stressful.” For more information on Sen. Brown’s work for Ohio, please click here.
To opt-out from receiving these messages in the future, please click here to unsubscribe.
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"All that we can't be is not who we are."
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