In 1975, the Social Security Administration (SSA) began automatic annual cost-of-living
adjustments (COLA) to ensure inflation did not erode Social Security benefits. On
October 14, 2026, SSA announced the 3.6 percent 2027 COLA for 76 million
Americans. Social Security beneficiaries do not need to register, apply, or otherwise
activate the benefit increase – the COLA is automatic.
How the Scam Works Scammers contact individuals by phone, text, email, social media, or mail to steal money or personal information. They pretend to be from Social Security or another government agency and claim they can increase payments or activate the COLA.