socialsecurity.com Wanting to apply for replacement social security card and they charged me $45 Internet 

Before I could apply for low-income senior housing, I needed to get a replacement for my Social Security card. I'm pretty Internet savy but ended up on an an official-looking Social Security site where I could fill out the form online. The site filled in all my information in nice blue print. When I got to the end, I was asked for my debit card number to pay them $45. Not realizing that the government NEVER charges for forms, I gave them my information.

I was then asked to print out my form and take it to my local Social Security Office. Something seemed strange about that request; why did I have to print the form out and physically deliver it to the office when the reason I filled it out on line was to avoid going to the Social Security Office in the first place. I was also suspect that they offered me no mailing address so that I could mail the form to them.

Last week I went to the Social Security Office in Miami Beach and learned, much to my dismay, that this is a scam. The guard told me that seniors fall for this seemingly easy way to get Social Security forms and end up spending up to $150 dollars with the added 'bonus' of having their identity stolen. I had to file a police report and also one with the Federal Trade Commission. My bank noticed suspicious activity on my bank account.

Because the forms themselves are public, anyone can post them without suffering consequences. However, they are not supposed to charge for completing the form. I was told by the counselors at the Social Security Office that these scammers are often in foreign countries so it is difficult to prosecute them.

The most important point in this email is that I went to: socialsecurity.com. The true website is socialsecurity.gov.

If the site is not located at .gov, it is bogus. Please spread the word, if you can to bring these creeps down.

Thanks so much.