Medicare Enrollment Scams: How to Protect Yourself | Better Business Bureau

Medicare Enrollment and Scam Risks

• ⚠️ Medicare enrollment is now open, presenting an opportunity for scammers to target individuals, especially with price hikes and coverage changes.
• 💡 The current government shutdown is causing uncertainty and disrupting services, with about half of CMS agency staff on leave, creating avenues for scammers to exploit.
• 💰 Medicare fraud is estimated to reach $100 billion each year, directly impacting the fund and its beneficiaries.

Common Scam Tactics

• 🎣 Phishing scams are prevalent, now often delivered via text message instead of email, requiring vigilance about what you've subscribed to.
• 💻 Be skeptical of links in emails and texts; if a website doesn't have a .gov domain or looks suspicious, avoid entering personal information.
• 📞 Unsolicited phone calls are a common method; never give out your Medicare number over the phone to someone who calls you unexpectedly.
• ⏳ Scammers often create a sense of urgency to pressure individuals into acting quickly without thinking.

Protecting Your Information

• 🛡️ Treat your Medicare number with the same caution as your Social Security or credit card numbers.
• 🔍 Always verify the source of any communication (phone call, text, email) before engaging or sharing personal details.

Reliable Resources for Information

• 🌐 Government websites remain a reliable source for accurate information during enrollment periods.
• 💻 The Better Business Bureau (BBB) website (bbb.org) offers valuable information, including a scam tracker tool where you can report suspicious activity and find examples of known scams.
• ✅ Utilizing these free resources can help individuals identify and avoid scams, and reporting scams, even without financial loss, aids others.