The Earnings Suspense File: Social Security's "Secret Stash" "Money from Nowhere" Fattens Government Accounts

"Have you ever wondered what happens to all the money collected for Social Security that beneficiaries don't get?

"What happens to the money assigned to people using false identities, or names matched with the wrong Social Security Number (SSN), or newlyweds who forgot to register their name changes with the Social Security administration?

"The answer lies in a little-known aspect of the Social Security behemoth known as the Earnings Suspense File (ESF).

"The ESF has become a hotbed for debate over everything from immigration rights to identity theft, as it continues to accrue money at roughly $6 billion a year, with the total as of 2005 sitting at $519 billion.

"As MSNBC reporter Bob Sullivan put it in an interview with ConsumerAffairs.com, the ESF is part of a 'grand mystery,' wherein money seems to disappear. But where does the money come from, what happens to it, and why isn't more being done about the problem?"