Social Security Issues Strong Warning for Louisiana Retirees

(KMDL-FM) Retirement, the Golden Years, the restful reward for a lifetime of hard work. That's what was promised to generations of Americans through Social Security. Back when I was a kid, folks actually believed that could and would happen.

READ MORE: Retire in Louisiana Without Social Security? How Much Do You Need?

If you've read any news clippings on the subject in recent weeks, your confidence in Social Security might be more than a little shaken.

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Louisiana Residents Could Lose Social Security Benefits

But oddly enough, this article is not about what the Social Security Administration is attempting to take away from hardworking Louisiana residents; this is more about something that SSA is attempting to do for your benefit.

Based on figures gleaned from Social Security Administration reports, there are approximately one million Louisiana residents who receive some kind of benefit via the Social Security Administration.

How Much Is The Average Social Security Benefit in Louisiana?

The average benefit is just over $1,800 per month. And based on SSA figures, about 715,000 of the one million receiving benefits are aged 65 or older. So, this warning from the Social Security Administration certainly affects a large portion of Louisiana's population.

According to an alert issued by the SSA's Office of Inspector General, the agency is seeing a large uptick in imposter scam emails that falsely claim to provide details about an individual's Social Security Account. The emails look very real, and clicking on the links could lead to identity theft, financial losses, and compromised information about the individual and their ability to receive benefits.

How to Tell a Scam email from a Legitimate email from Social Security

The scam emails reportedly look very legitimate. They included details such as logos, language, color, and even formatting that mimics an official Social Security site. However, there are some key differences to look for:

** Messages claiming your Social Security statement is ready to download
** Embedded links or attachments labeled as statements or documents
** Messages creating urgency or pressure to act immediately
** Sender addresses that do not end in “.gov”

The best way to avoid any such scam if you receive an email such as this is to simply delete it. If you still have questions about your Social Security Account, it's best if you log in directly. You would visit ssa.gov/myaccount. From there, you would input your credentials, and you can rest assured that the site you're visiting is the official government site.

READ MORE: Has Your Social Security Data Been Hacked? Find Out Here

If you have elderly family members who are not "internet savvy," you might want to go over some of the details of this warning from Social Security with them. Scammers prey on older victims who either don't understand the technology or believe the scam emails are legitimate.

Meanwhile, let's go back in time a few years, shall we? How many of these do you remember from the past 30 years?