Scammers are at it again, this time sending official-looking letters on fake U.S. Supreme Court letterhead. The Social Security Administration’s Inspector General wants you to know: these letters are completely fake.
What the scam looks like
The letter arrives addressed to you personally. It uses forged signatures of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Sonia Sotomayor. The scammers claim you’re a suspect in criminal proceedings. They’ll drop names — real SSA officials, New Mexico’s Attorney General Raúl Torrez — to make it feel legitimate.
The letter says your Social Security number has been compromised. That the DEA (which they incorrectly call the “Drug Enforcement Agency”) is involved. That the Supreme Court has ordered your bank accounts frozen. That you can’t keep more than $10,000 in any bank or $80,000-$100,000 in investments.
Then comes the threat: cooperate with the Treasury Department or face “full liability” for losses when your Social Security number gets suspended.
It’s all designed to scare you into acting fast.
The sophistication should worry you
“Even though this scam looks more sophisticated, it follows the same playbook we’ve been seeing for years — impersonate authority, create fear, and rush the victim into compliance,” notes Melissa Caro, a certified financial planner with My Retirement Network. When scammers start using forged Supreme Court letterhead and real officials’ names, it tells you how much they’re investing in making these schemes believable.
People tend to assume they’d never fall for something like this. But when an official-looking document says you’re under investigation or tied to a criminal case, logic can go out the window. That’s exactly the point.
The Supreme Court generally does not mail you letters.
Image source: Shutterstock
This Supreme Court scam isn’t theoretical
Marguerita Cheng, a certified financial planner with Blue Ocean Global Wealth shares a recent case: her husband — a federal employee, CPA, and auditor — had to go to the Social Security office in person this week after someone filed a fraudulent claim on his record. The fraudster also opened a bank account at Wells Fargo in his name. He only caught it because he received a notice from SSA about a request to update his bank account information.
If it can happen to a federal auditor, it can happen to anyone.
Who’s most vulnerable to scams like this
While younger generations have grown more skeptical of these schemes, older Americans remain the primary targets. Catherine Valega, a certified financial planner with Green Bee Advisory, points out that “it is the oldest generations that are susceptible.”
That’s why adult children need to have conversations with their parents. Talk to them about these scams. Tell them to ignore suspicious communications, delete them, and share their concerns with you before taking any action. The message: do not click, do not answer, do not engage.
“This message should be spread far and wide,” Valega said.
The truth about scams
“On every level this letter is completely false,” says Michelle Anderson, acting inspector general at SSA.
The Supreme Court doesn’t send these letters. Social Security numbers don’t get “suspended.” The government doesn’t freeze your assets without due process and proper notification through legitimate channels.
No legitimate agency, including the Supreme Court or Social Security Administration, will ever contact you this way about charges or demand immediate action.
What to do if you get a letter or text
If you get one of these letters or texts, “treat it like a fire alarm for fraud — stop, verify, and report it,” advises Caro.
Tear up the letter. Then report it at ssa.gov/scam.
Before you pay anyone claiming to be from a government agency, stop. Think. Talk to someone you trust.
Follow the SSA Office of Inspector General on social media to stay current on scam tactics. The criminals keep evolving their approach, so you need to stay informed. The scammers are counting on fear and urgency to override your better judgment. Don’t give them that power.
Protect Yourself from email scams
Beware of scammers pretending to be from SSA or another government agency.Stop. Think scam. Talk to someone you trust before paying.Visit ssa.gov/scam to report Social Security-related scams and learn more.Stay up to date on the latest scam warnings and tactics by following SSA OIG on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn.Visit the Federal Trade Commission for consumer protection tips.
Read a PDF of the Social Security Administration’s Inspector General’s press release here.
Biggest scams in 2025
Imposter scams, often AI-poweredInvestment and cryptocurrency scams”Phantom Hacker” or tech support scamsPhishing (email and text)Employment scamsSource: FBI
