Dos and Don’ts | Minnesota | Social Security Fraud

When a parent dies, it is important to handle both practical and emotional aspects of that loss. Notify family and friends first, secure the home, make funeral arrangements, etc. But don’t forget to obtain a copy of the death certificate. And don’t forget to notify the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) to stop any benefits for the deceased. And don’t impersonate the deceased parent, like Mavious Redmond did, who pleaded guilty on April 15, 2025, to Social Security fraud.

Redmond’s mother passed away in January of 1999. Not only did Redmond fail to notify SSA of her mother’s death to stop benefits, but she also impersonated her deceased mother to keep her fraud scheme going for the next 25 years. On June 4, 2024, Redmond personally visited the SSA office, posing as her deceased mother, and submitted a fraudulent SS-5 Application for Social Security Form using her mother’s name, date of birth, Social Security number, and forging her deceased mother’s signature. 

Redmond visited the SSA office a second time on June 20, 2024, to resubmit her deceased mother’s documentation and the form with the forged signature when her application, and her ruse, was flagged. Redmond collected more than $360,000 in social security payments intended for her mother.

Shout out to the Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General in this case.

Today’s Fraud of The Day is based on article “Austin woman pleads guilty in federal court to fraud that netted her $320K over 25 years” published by Alberta Tea Tribune on April 15, 2025.

An Austin woman has entered a plea of guilty to theft of government funds after over two decades of Social Security fraud.  According to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Minnesota, acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick announced that Mavious Redmond had conducted the fraud for 25 years resulting in $360,000 in payments that were intended for her mother.  The fraud lasted from January 1999 to June of 2024.

Redmond pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government funds in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel on April 9. A sentence hearing will take place at a later date.  In the release it was related that according to court documents, Redmond, 54, carried out a scheme to collect her deceased mother’s social security retirement benefits following her mother’s death in January 1999.