Has anyone else been seeing Social Security Notices for people who never worked for the Company they say owes them a pension benefit?

I have a client that has received letters from two different people in the last few months; each enclosed a copy of the SSA notice with the clients EIN, Plan Name, Plan Number stating that the person should contact them for their pension benefit. The problem is they never worked for the company. They have both been resolved quickly with a phone call to the person. Both admitted they were surprised to get the notice and agreed that they never worked for them.

Both Notices stated they were based on a 2004 SSA filing. Anyone else having a problem? Maybe someone filed an SSA back in 94 with the wrong EIN and they all got attached to our client. It just seems a bit strange, once I can understand, but now this is two in two months.

This is an interesting issue, one that EBSA should hear about.

I suggest you notify the local EBSA office of DOL, and send a copy to ASPPA of the facts (but without the
details of name & tax id's).

ASPPA has a good relationship with the agencies, and cares about the integrity of the process.

SoCalActuary, wouldn't you also get the SSA and maybe IRS on this. Just wondering since the P and SSA will not be part of mandatory electronic filing in 2008. EBSA doesn't deal with these forms.

I started from the perspective that EBSA is the point of collection for this info.

I agree that SSA sent the info, but they are done, since they have already notified the participants.
SSA should be given the correct info, but I don't know how they will get it unless EBSA sends
corrections.

I am also sure that IRS does not care.

Very likely this is related to identity theft, or more precisely, the use of real SSNs by illegals.

How would that result in getting attached to the wrong employer? If someone was using someone elses SSN, that doesn't get it attached to my client. The only way someone should get the letter from Soc Sec. is if they were reported on a 5500 SSA w/ my clients EIN, but they weren't.

I have to believe that some employer somewhere is using my clients EIN, or there is a screw up with the SSA.

Could be someone used the wrong EIN on one or more forms.
Could be that an illegal, working for your client, used a phony SSN that just happened to belong to someone else, and that illegal later became a VT.