The Social Security letter that is real, and the four that aren't

Your 2027 cost-of-living notice is on its way, and so are the messages pretending to be it. One notice is real. Any message, by mail, phone, text or email, that asks you to do something about your raise is not.

When does the real COLA notice arrive, and what does it say?

SSA says 2027 COLA notices are available in the Message Center of your my Social Security account from late November 2026 for people who have an account by November 18, 2026, and that paper notices are mailed in December.¹ SSA does not give an individual delivery date. If Medicare premiums come out of your check, your new 2027 benefit amount is in that December notice, online and on paper.¹

The raise itself is 3.6%, for Social Security and for SSI. Social Security pays it starting with the January 2027 payment; SSI pays it with the payment dated December 31, 2026.⁶¹ It is applied automatically; what reaches your account depends on your own deductions, such as a Medicare premium. The notice tells you what already happened. It does not ask you to do anything to receive it.

What does a real Social Security letter never do?

SSA’s own standard is short: its services are free, and no government agency will solicit your personal information or ask for fees by wire transfer or gift card.¹ Its scam page lists what the impostors do, and every item is something the real agency does not.² A real SSA letter, call or message never:

• asks you to confirm your Social Security number or bank account so a payment or increase can be “activated” or “released”;²
• asks for payment by gift card, prepaid card, wire, cryptocurrency, gold or mailed cash;²
• tells you to move your money to a “protected” or “safe” account;²
• threatens to suspend your Social Security number or have you arrested;²³
• demands secrecy, or sends photos of badges or credentials as proof.²

The FTC puts it flatly: the real agency won’t threaten you or suspend your number.³ Anyone who says yours has been is reading a script.

From Next Chapter TodayThe Social Security PlaybookWhen to claim, how to protect a spouse, and the 75 questions people actually ask. By Kwame Kuadey.About the book →

What are the four fakes that arrive with the raise?

1. The “confirm your COLA” text or call. SSA lists “claim to need personal information or payment to activate a cost-of-living adjustment” among current scam tactics.² There is no activation step. The increase arrives on schedule whether or not you ever speak to anyone.¹

2. The “your Social Security number is suspended” call. The caller says your benefits will end or your number will be suspended unless you pay now, often by gift card or payment app, and caller ID may show SSA’s real name; caller ID can be faked.³

3. The “overpayment, pay now” letter with a payment link. This one works because real overpayment letters exist. A genuine one asks for repayment within 30 days, points you to Pay.gov with a Remittance ID printed at the end of the letter, and tells you how to ask for a waiver, an appeal or a lower withholding rate (Form SSA-634).⁴ SSA does not start collecting while a timely waiver or appeal request is pending.⁴ The fake copies that format. Scammers mail letters too, and a link can show “.gov” and lead somewhere else, so the envelope, the letterhead and the address prove nothing.² The only safe check: use none of the contact details in the notice. Log in at ssa.gov/myaccount or call 1-800-772-1213, ask whether SSA sent it, and pay nothing until it confirms.²⁵

4. The “Medicare card replacement fee” call. Someone “from Medicare” needs your Medicare number, bank account or card number for your new card. Medicare cards are free.³ If you already receive Social Security when you become eligible, your card arrives on its own; if not, you enroll through Social Security, and there is still no fee. Medicare also won’t call to sell you anything.³ If you need a replacement card, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) yourself, or request one through SSA’s automated phone line.³⁵

How do you check whether a message is real?

Opening the account has a second use: if anyone tries to change your address or direct deposit, you get an alert right away.²

For impostor calls, grandparent scams and job ads, see our overview, The scams aimed at you this year.

What to do

1. Sign in or create your account at ssa.gov/myaccount by November 18, 2026, so your COLA notice can be posted online from late November; choose online notices if you prefer them to mail.¹
2. Read the notice there, or wait for the December mailing. It reports your 2027 amount and asks for nothing.¹
3. Treat any message, by any route, that mentions confirming, activating, paying or suspending as fake. Hang up. Do not click.²³
4. If an overpayment notice arrives, by any route, verify it by logging in or calling 1-800-772-1213, and ask about a waiver or appeal before you pay; asking is not the same as filing, so get the deadline and the form.⁴⁵
5. Report every attempt: the SSA Office of the Inspector General at ssa.gov/scam (which opens the reporting form at oig.ssa.gov/report) or 1-800-269-0271, and the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.¹⁷³
6. If you gave out a number, go to IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan and call your bank the same day.³
7. Send this to the person in your family who lives alone.