Medicare phone scam finding Montana victims
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POLSON — The Montana Senior Medicare Patrol has recently received another report of a victim to one of the endless variety of phone scams. In the latest version of the scam, the caller claims to be an “official” with Medicare, calling because Medicare is sending out new cards and he needs to “verify some information.” Of course the information they’re looking for is your banking and other information so that they can use it for fraudulent activity or sell it to some other crook. Even the most knowledgeable person can fall prey to this scam, as the callers are very convincing. They often have some of your banking information already, and the longer they keep you on the phone, the more likely it is they can get information out of you.
Please remember that Medicare will never call you on the phone. Medicare and Social Security do not need your banking information. The scammers need it so they can steal your money.
One way to protect yourself is to use your answering machine or caller ID to screen all your calls. Don’t waste your time telling them not to call. Remember, these malicious callers are successful because they are good at what they do. The longer they can keep you on the phone, the more chances they can find to try and hook you.
Another idea is to have a safety script by your phone. You can follow it to make sure you tell people that you do not give out personal information to anyone who calls on the phone. Tell them you have to verify who they are and you need their name, agency name, and a call back number. Stick to the script no matter what they say to convince you otherwise. Most likely they will hang up and move on to the next potential victim.
If you do get a suspicious call, do not give them any information, and spread the word to your friends and family to be on the lookout for the latest scam targeting seniors. Report the call to your local Senior Medicare Patrol by calling 1(800) 551-3191. These types of solicitations to Medicare beneficiaries will be reported and the data used at the national level.
With the changing nature of Medicare and all the misinformation surrounding the Affordable Care Act, crooks want to take advantage of the situation. But the fact remains, no one should need to call and request your Medicare number or banking information.
