Medicare Scam Alert: Protect Yourself from Fraudulent Calls

The New York State senior Action Council has issued a warning about a rising trend in Medicare card scams. Scammers may claim that it’s time to replace your paper Medicare card with a plastic or chip card,or they might ask for personal or medical information under the guise of verifying your details.

Key Points to Protect Yourself from Medicare Scams

1. Your Medicare card does not expire: Medicare cards do not have an expiration date.If someone calls claiming your card is expiring, it’s a scam.
2. Medicare will not call you: Medicare will never call you to ask for “personal information” or to verify your details. Always be cautious of unsolicited calls.
3. Never share personal information: Scammers may ask for your Medicare number, Social Security number, or details about your doctors and medical conditions. Never share this information with anyone you don’t know or trust.
4. Beware of new card scams: Scammers may claim that new Medicare cards are being issued and your old one is invalid. Medicare will never ask for your bank information to issue a new card.
5. Hang up on suspicious calls: if someone calls asking you to confirm any personal or medical information, hang up promptly.
6. Report suspected fraud: If you suspect Medicare fraud, call 1-800-MEDICARE (633-4227) or the NYS Senior Action council at 800-333-4374. they are contracted by the federal government to assist with Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse.

Remember, Medicare will never ask for your bank information or send you a card that requires you to pay a fee. Always be cautious of unsolicited calls and never share personal information unless you are sure of the caller’s identity.

Additional Resources

• Aetna: 5 ways to protect yourself from Medicare scams
• Aura: How To Identify Medicare Scam calls: Avoid These 9 Scams
• The Motley Fool: Beware of These 5 Medicare Scams