Learn their tricks! How Medicare Scams work.
Posted: April 14, 2023
The landscape of crime has changed completely, and scam artists use technological advances to pull off Medicare scams. In 2022, Techjury.net reports there are:
- 5.32 billion mobile phone users.
- 63% of the world’s population using the Internet.
- 8.5 billion searches done on Google each day.
Medicare scammers have added the use of cell phones, text messaging, email, social media and websites to their bag of tricks. Of course, their old-fashioned methods of face-to-face, door-to-door, and physical mail are still effective.
It’s becoming more common for scammers to “layer” modern technology, such as text messaging and telephones, together to appear more polished. Learn more about Callback Phishing scams here
If you need help, contact the Missouri Senior Medicare Patrol at (888) 515-6565
The Missouri Senior Medicare Patrol is here to help you prevent, detect and report suspected Medicare or Medicaid fraud, errors and abuse.
Why do scam artists want your Medicare number so badly?
Scammers only make money when they have the following items in hand:
- A valid number of a prescriber in the Medicare system
- A valid Medicare beneficiary number
- Code numbers for items to bill
Once they have all three of those pieces of information, they can bill Medicare for services that you did not receive. They keep the reimbursement for themselves!
Ultimately, these charges become part of your medical records, and you might lose access to the services you need. Learn more >
Method #1 Phone Calls with fake Caller ID technology
You might think you can trust the name and number that displays on your Caller ID, or on your cell phone. Unfortunately, the scammers take advantage of this unshakeable trust in technology.
People can make their name and phone number display as a local number, or as “Medicare” using something called Caller ID spoofing. It’s ridiculously easy to do!
How Caller ID spoofing works in Medicare scams
Many states don’t have any laws against Caller ID spoofing. In fact, law enforcement agencies might legitimately use Caller ID spoofing during investigations to hide their identity.
There are plenty of online services that scammers use to trick you into answering the phone. Some of these Caller ID spoofing services even give free credits as an incentive for using their platform!
Criminals can change the “Number to Display” and the “Name to Display” using these services. Neighbor spoofing is a ploy that tries to earn your trust using a local area code.
Please remember:
- Medicare does not call you out of the blue.
- If your bank or doctor’s office calls you, consider not answering and calling them back at the phone number listed on their website.
Medicare Phone Number and Official Website
If you get a call from Medicare, do not answer. Wait for the caller to leave a message, then call Medicare yourself to verify if it was real or fake.
- 1-800-633-4227
- Medicare.gov
Method #2 Scary, official-sounding emails that claim to be from Medicare
Most Missourians prefer to take care of their business in a timely fashion. That’s why scammers are so effective at using email to gain sensitive information, like your Medicare number.
Here are things to watch out for in your email inbox:
- Urgent tone
- Notice of a refund or pending payments
- Request to update your official government account
- Advice that you “link” bank account information with a secure web transfer
- Warning that someone has hacked your account
- Links to click on to access a web form
Ten years ago, you could count on typos and misspellings to tell you that the email was fake. These days? You’ll be amazed how slick these Medicare scams can look, with professional logos and graphic design.
- Never click links in an email you aren’t expecting to receive.
- Delete emails from people you do not recognize.
- Delete emails that are pushy or opportunistic in tone, and call Medicare back yourself with any questions.
Method #3 Scammers create fake websites and try to steal your money using social media
These days, it’s possible to create a professional-looking website in an hour or less, using template tools. These websites want you to provide sensitive personal information, using:
- Online forms
- Online live chat or chat boxes
- Phone numbers for Customer Service, which rings straight to the scammer!
Scam artists then use social media accounts to try to “hook” you into visiting the site. They lure you in with offers for free items or use scare-tactics to entice you into filling out their fake form with your Medicare number and banking information.
Keep yourself safe with the following online tips
- Do your research on companies before you give personal information
- Check with Better Business Bureau
- Do a web search with the company name and the word “scam”
Companies can create fake reviews on their website
These days, it’s a good idea to learn all the methods that scam artists use to pull off their worst tricks. It’s easy to fool people with materials that look official and sound professional.
Even reviews can be easily faked. Luckily, there is a quick way to make sure the reviews are authentic on a company website.
Look for authorized shopper reviews that are “powered by” a neutral third-party review system, including: Yotpo, Birdeye, Trust Pilot, or Reseller Ratings. You can also find reviews on separate websites such as: Yelp!, Angie’s List, or Better Business Bureau.
This fraud prevention information is brought to you by Missouri SMP. Our mission is to empower and assist Medicare beneficiaries, their families and caregivers to prevent, detect and report healthcare fraud, errors, and abuse.