Thread: Letter from the Bureau of the Public Debt

My husband and I recieved a letter the other day from the Department of the Treasury: Bureau of the Public Debt stating "A savings bond with your social security number has been returned to our office as undeliverable."

They are asking me to send the same piece of paper back with mine, my husbands, and my daughters social security number on it and all bonds we have purchased. The problem is, None of us have ever purchased any savings bonds, ever. My fahter in law did purchase one our daughter when she was born, and a while back my grandfather asked for al of our social security numbers, but I dont know what he used them for.

This sounds like a scam to me. Has this happened to anyone else? Is it real? I'm not quiet sure what to do.

Thanks in advance.

Originally Posted by mnafwfe

My husband and I recieved a letter the other day from the Department of the Treasury: Bureau of the Public Debt stating "A savings bond with your social security number has been returned to our office as undeliverable."

They are asking me to send the same piece of paper back with mine, my husbands, and my daughters social security number on it and all bonds we have purchased. The problem is, None of us have ever purchased any savings bonds, ever. My fahter in law did purchase one our daughter when she was born, and a while back my grandfather asked for al of our social security numbers, but I dont know what he used them for.

This sounds like a scam to me. Has this happened to anyone else? Is it real? I'm not quiet sure what to do.

Thanks in advance.

No don't do it/You can contact them on your own.I'm thinking you can't contact your grandfather.If you contact the treasury thy can advise you.until then it's not going anywhere.

The Bureau of the Public Debt is the part of the government that handles savings bonds. Perhaps someone bought one a while back and gave an address that is no longer good. The bond may have matured and they're trying to mail it to you.

Go on the web or to the library and get the address so you know it's correct, write and ask. Give them your SSN.

Most scams want you to reply by e-mail or FedEx or something, as using the US mail for fraud is a serious crime. If you initiate the action, you should be fine.

How do I get a complete list of savings bonds that have been issued to my Social Security Number?

This can be done, but it requires a signed letter from you. The Treasury wants to make sure that it's not giving this information away to someone who shouldn't have it.

Interestingly, if you apply for Social Security benefits that require you have no assets, the Social Security Administration has no trouble getting a list of your Savings Bonds from the Treasury, because the Treasury deems that the SSA is entitled to the information.

What you need to do is send a signed letter requesting the information. At a minimum you need to include your name, your address now, your Social Security Number, and the approximate issue date of the bonds.

However, the Treasury's ability to search improves if you can also include bond serial numbers (even the numbers from bonds you're not looking for can help), the names of co-owners or beneficiaries, the series and denomination, your address at time of issue.

If the bond was a gift to you include the giver's name, address at the time of issue, and, of particular importance, the giver's Social Security Number.
You will receive a list of your bond holdings, including series, issue date, face value, and serial number. The list won't include any bonds that have been redeemed, however.

If you're curious about whether a bond whose serial number you have has been redeemed, ask and they will tell you.

Send your letter to the Treasury at this address:

Bureau of the Public Debt
Accrual Securities Branch
PO Box 1328
Parkersburg, WV 26106-1328

You can also go to the federal government's website and fill out a lost savings bond form and mail it in. (I can't post the URL due to site restrictions, but if you Google "REQUEST TO REISSUE UNITED STATES SAVINGS BONDS" and "PDF FORM" the site should come right up.