Scam Safety Talks to Have This Thanksgiving

Posted:  November 05, 2024

Share these scam safety tips to help keep your loved one’s fraud free! 

November begins the season of family get-togethers, good food, and conversations. While passing the potatoes, bring up how we can protect ourselves and our loved ones from being deceived. Share these reminders and help squash the chances of being scammed.  

• Phone Scams:
  • If you are being pressured for personal information or to make fast decisions over the phone, hang up. This is likely a scam.
  • Do not always trust the person calling is who they say they are. Scammers pretend to be from Medicare, the Police Dept. or even family members. When in doubt, hang up and call the person or company back using a verified phone number.
  • Screen your calls. Don’t answer if you don’t recognize the number calling you. Send those calls to voicemail.
  • Be aware of scammers pretending to be telehealth doctors wanting to send you unnecessary medical equipment or genetic test kits. When in doubt, hang up and call your doctor.
  • Guard your card. Do not verify or give your Medicare number to anyone over the phone.    
• Mail and Online Scams:
  • Do not respond to offers claiming you have won & need to send money to receive your prize.
  • Watch the mail for your Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) or Explanation of Benefits (EOB) to check for double billing, services/items not received or anything else suspicious.
  • Use My Health Care Tracker to keep track of doctor appointments and procedures. If you need help reading your MSN or EOB or need a tracker, call the Missouri SMP.
  • Create a Medicare.gov profile so you can access your information at any time.
  • Shred any mail that may contain personal information like Medicare or credit card numbers.
  • Do not send money or give personal information to online “friends”. Not everyone is who they claim to be. Scammers will sometime clone or hack social media accounts.
  • Do not accept friend requests from people you don’t know. 
  • Do not leave mail in your mailbox for more than one day. Identity thieves may steal mail from your mailbox to get personal information.
  • Do not accept any durable medical equipment delivered to you that was not ordered by your doctor or health care provider.

Scam safety starts with a conversation and can make a huge impact on someone. The Missouri SMP is here to provide you with information you need to protect, detect, and report potential Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse. If you think you or a loved one has been a target of a Medicare scam, call the Missouri SMP at 888-515-6565.

This project was supported, in part, by the U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $662,347 with 100 percent funding by ACL/HHS. The contents are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government