Practicing Scam Self-Defense

Posted:  September 27, 2024

How you can protect yourself from Medicare Scams

Self-defense is a valuable life skill to have. Many, however, don’t think of scam self-defense. An estimated $7 million an hour is lost to healthcare fraud, errors or abuse. When people steal from Medicare, it hurts us all and can be considered easy money for criminals. The October Fraud Fact from the Missouri SMP (Senior Medicare Patrol) highlights how practicing scam self-defense tactics can protect your and loved ones from potential Medicare fraud.

• Guard Your Card. Protect your Medicare number just like you would your credit card number.
  • Don’t carry your Medicare card with you unless you are going directly to the doctor.
  • Don’t accept money, gifts or supplies from anyone in exchange for your Medicare number. 
• Don’t engage in scam offers. Ignore emails, throw away mailers, don’t accept friend requests from unknown people or duplicate accounts, don’t answer unknown numbers and hang up on bogus calls.
• Register your phone number on the National Do Not Call registry by calling 888-382-1222, and opt out of marketing emails by visiting The Opt Out Pre-Screen Website. This will not stop scam attempts, but it can make it easier to identify good from bad. Most legitimate marketers will not contact you once you have registered on these lists.
• Stay up-to-date on current scams and scammer tactics by following the Missouri SMP on Facebook. SMP staff members and volunteers offer free scam self-defense in your community through group presentations and community events. Contact the SMP to schedule.
• Volunteer with the SMP to help protect your loved ones, friends, and neighbors. You may be up-to-date on scam self-defense, but by volunteering someone in your community could benefit too.
• Review your Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) or Explanation of Benefits (EOB) to make sure you received the services listed. Use the My Health Care Tracker to record medical visits, tests, services, and equipment. Cross check those with your tracker once your MSN or EOB is available.

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, or has questions about practicing scam self-defense, call us 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