Medicare eligible recipients are inundated with attempts to deceive recipients into providing personal identity information to either steal from them, steal their identity, or steal from Medicare.
The most important thing to know about Medicare, Social Security or IRS is these federal agencies NEVER call unless the caller has first called them and asked for a call back. If a federal agency wants to communicate with a Medicare and/or SSA recipient, it is always done using postal service mail.
The second most important thing to know is never, ever, give any caller your full Medicare number or your Social Security number (SSN). If they are legitimately calling you, they will already have that information and might ask you to provide the last four digits to be sure they are talking to the right caller.
Unfortunately, we all have lapses in judgement, particularly when a caller is ever so polite and seemingly trying to be an advocate. The same holds true for Medicare TV commercials that seem so interested in helping you get the best possible deal. There really is no such thing as "free". However, marketers know people love the word "free".
If you or someone you know was tricked into providing identity information there are things to quickly do to counteract the scam.
First and foremost, everyone should freeze their credit rating accounts before they ever have a problem. No one can open a credit card or take out a loan using stolen ids if credit rating accounts are frozen. It's a little annoying to unfreeze an account if you want to do something like sign up for a new credit card or switch a cable service. It's devastating and often irreparable if someone exploits your personal information for their own gain and your accounts weren't frozen.
There are three credit rating agencies. Call and freeze your account in each one:
If your credit rating accounts are frozen it goes a huge way toward thwarting fraud, but it may not stop thieves from trying to do other things. What else do you need to do or not bother to do?
Telling the police you have been scammed is a waste of time. They just don't have the capacity to pursue low level criminals who likely live in a foreign country. Don't waste your time filing a report.
Medicare, however, is quite interested in knowing what happen. It is bilked of millions of dollars due to fraudulent claims submitted by scammers. Immediately notify Medicare (1-800-633-4227) if you lost your Medicare card or inadvertently gave your Medicare number to a scammer. They will put a block on your account and help you get a new Medicare card. Medicare is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
If you are scammed into giving someone your Social Security Number, call Social Security (1-800-772-1213) to notify them of the situation. Scammers will try to get Social Security to change the bank account where your SSA benefit check is deposited. If you notify SSA that you have been scammed they will put an alert on your account.
Also call your bank and they will put a lock on your bank accounts so there can be no unauthorized access.
Medicare published this brochure which has more advice about protecting your Medicare resources:
https://www.medicare.gov/Pubs/pdf/10111-Protecting-Yourself-and-Medicare.pdf
Stay safe!
This all great advice and well worth the time to lock the credit accounts. Unfortunately nothing seems to stop the phone calls. Thank you for publishing these pointers.
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