Why Federal Retirees Are Target #1 for Scams

And the Latest One Might Be From “Your Agency”

July 08, 2025

You get an email from “TSP Notifications.”

It has your name, retirement ID, and mentions a form you supposedly forgot to submit.

The link looks official. The message sounds urgent.

So you click.

You enter a few details.

And just like that…

👉 You’ve handed over access to your retirement account to a scammer.

This isn’t rare. It’s not even surprising anymore.

Federal retirees like you have become prime targets for a new breed of scams—and the most dangerous ones?

They look like they came from your agency.

Why You’re in the Crosshairs

These scammers know three key things about you:

  1. You’re part of a complex benefits system—full of forms, portals, deadlines, and terminology.

  2. You’re conditioned to trust official-sounding communications from OPM, TSP, HR, or your former agency.

  3. You’ve likely got a lifetime stream of income—which makes you a long-term target.

They don’t need to hack your account.

They just need you to believe you’re on a secure site—and trick you into handing over the keys.

The “Retirement Reconfirmation Request” Scam

Here’s how one of the latest scams works:

  • You receive an email warning that your pension or TSP withdrawals may be paused unless you “reverify” your account.

  • It references a familiar form like “SF-2801 Update” or “TSP Eligibility Check.”

  • The email looks like it came from OPM or your agency.

  • The link leads to a convincing fake login page that captures your credentials.

⚠️ Red Flags:

  • Slightly off email addresses like tsp-gov.com, opm-retire.org, or gov-benefits.net

  • Urgent warnings: “Final Notice,” “Account Suspension,” or “Benefits At Risk”

  • Requests for full Social Security numbers or login details via email

3 Quick Ways to Stay Safe

1. Don’t click links in retirement-related emails—ever.
Instead, go directly to TSP.gov or OPM.gov in your browser.

2. Question any “urgent” update or threat of suspension.
Agencies do not cancel benefits over email—nor do they ask you to confirm personal data unless you initiated something.

3. Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on your email and financial accounts.
If scammers can’t access your email, they’re locked out of most of your life.

You spent decades learning the system. You earned your benefits.

But that same trust and familiarity that helped you navigate your federal career?

That’s exactly what today’s scammers are exploiting.

Stay skeptical. Stay secure.

—FWR