Hilda Griffin, a 41-year-old resident of Springfield, Massachusetts, has pled guilty to stealing Social Security benefits.

The woman confessed to providing false information to the Social Security Administration (SSA). She said there were multiple people living in her household, and she was acting as their representative payee.

Even when the individuals had left her household, she continued receiving benefits for them — and even reapplied for benefits. Overall, she collected just under $27,000 total from three individuals.

False representation to the SSA can result in a year of prison time and a year of supervised release, plus a $1,000 fine. She is set to be sentenced on June 30, 2023. As we’ve covered here before, benefit theft is a serious issue and has been carried out by families, employers, and even SSA employees.

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