A New Wave of Medicare Scammers
Yet another wave of Medicare scammers is on the rise. As new Medicare cards will be mailed out, seniors are finding themselves susceptible to phone scammers who are calling and identifying themselves as representatives from Medicare.
Callers are requesting payment for the new Medicare cards that are absolutely FREE. Please be wary of such scams and not to give out private information about yourself. Medicare will correspond only via mail.
To report a scam, please use the Better Business Scam Tracker or contact Medicare.gov directly at 1-800-MEDICARE.
In this latest attempt at medical identity theft, a caller posing as a Medicare representative will ask for payment in exchange for the new ID. (The cards, which will be automatically sent sometime between April 2018 and April 2019, are free and require no extra steps.)
The same goes for someone asking if you want to purchase Medicare’s prescription drug coverage, known as Part D. In this case a scammer may try to persuade you to buy Part D or lose your Medicare coverage. (Part D is voluntary and has no impact on your health plan.)
Another common ruse is that you’re owed a refund from your insurance company and the caller needs your bank account number and Social Security number to deposit it. A similar fraud also involves a caller claiming to be with Medicare requesting to update or confirm your information. In each of these attempts at medical identity theft, scammers can then use your insurance to see a doctor, obtain prescriptions, buy medical equipment or even file a false claim.”
Scammers are taking advantage of the new security measures by targeting Medicare recipients before the changes roll out. North Carolina Department of Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey says fraudsters are calling recipients, asking for personal information before the new cards come in. He says they’ll ask you to verify your information, pay a fee or offer to track down your new card by using your old card information.”
If you have questions or concerns about the new Medicare cards, please contact our office for assistance: 937-492-8800.
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