Sep 29, 2023
A Podcast by BBB of the Tri-Counties
A BIG thank you to Ayers Automotive Repairs in Santa Barbara for supporting this podcast.
Welcome to this week’s edition of Your Moment of Trust!
Healthcare scams are as
varied as just about any con out there. The fraudster often poses
as a government
authority to persuade you to provide personal information related
to your Medicare or
Medicaid account for identity theft. In other cases, the con artist
is after your health
insurance, Medicaid, or Medicare information to submit fraudulent
medical charges.
How the scam works:
The scam typically starts with an email, text message, or phone
call that appears to be
from a government agency. Con artists use a variety of stories. In
one common version,
the “agent” tells you that he or she needs to update account
information to send a new
medical card. In another version, the scammer asks for your account
number in
exchange for free equipment or services. A third version involves a
threatening robocall
purporting to be from HealthCare.gov or the Health Insurance
Marketplace. You’re told
you must buy health insurance or face a fine. Sure enough, you’re
soon asked to
provide personal information. A more recent version has reported
Medicare recipients
receiving notices that new Medicare cards with microchips will be
sent out and further
verification is required.
Tips to avoid this scam:
● Don't trust a name or number. Con artists use official-sounding
names or mask
their area codes by spoofing to make you trust them. Don't fall for
it.
● Hang up and go to official websites. You can enroll or re-enroll
in Medicare at
Medicare.gov or a marketplace health plan at Healthcare.gov.
● Never share personally identifiable information with someone who
has contacted
you unsolicited, whether over the phone, by email, or on social
media. This
includes banking and credit card information, your birthdate,
Social Security or
Social Insurance number, and, of course, your health insurance
number.
● Guard your government-issued numbers. Never offer your Medicare
ID number,
Social Security number, health plan info, or banking information to
anyone you
don’t know.
● Know the signs. Medicare will never contact you via email, text
message, or
phone, asking you to verify personal information.
Until next time!