Social Security Fraud: What It Looks Like and How Not to Get Scammed Social Security has done a lot of good since its inception in the 1930s, including dramatically reducing poverty among the elderly over the course of the elderly. But very often, Social Security provides a benefit that others try to take away. So many millions of Social Security checks are sent out to American taxpayers that scams to steal them are frequently carried out. And of late, there have been numerous stories in the news about individuals getting arrested for such scams. Social Security has done a lot of good since its inception in the 1930s, including dramatically reducing poverty among the elderly over the course of the elderly. But very often, Social Security provides a benefit that others try to take away.