Phone calls · Scam library
Medicare scam: how to spot it and what to do
Arrives by: Phone call, Text message, Email, Mail
Is it a scam?
A call, text or email saying you need a new Medicare card, or asking for your Medicare, bank or card number, is a scam. Medicare cards are free and mailed automatically, and Medicare won't contact you out of the blue to ask for your number or to sell you anything. Scammers get busier during Open Enrollment, Oct 15 to Dec 7.
How the scam works.
The scammer calls, texts or emails, often during Open Enrollment. Caller ID may show "Medicare" or a real-looking number.
They offer a "new" or "updated" Medicare card, extra benefits, or a better plan.
They ask you to "verify" your Medicare number, bank account or card number.
Your number is then used to bill Medicare for services you never got, or your bank details are used to take money.
Red flags to look for.
Illustrative example · Phone call
Incoming call
MEDICARE +1 (202) 555-0125
Written from the patterns official sources describe. Phone numbers and web addresses in it are fake.
Someone says you need a new Medicare card. Cards are free and mailed automatically.
An unexpected call, text or email asking for your Medicare, Social Security, bank or card number.
Someone claims to be from Medicare and tries to sell you something.
Caller ID says "Medicare." Caller ID can be faked.
Pressure to decide today, or a warning that you'll lose coverage.
An offer of free gifts, gear or tests in exchange for your Medicare number.
The real thing vs. the scam.
What the real organization does
What the scammer does
Medicare cards are free and mailed to you automatically.
A caller who needs your number or bank account to send a new card.
Medicare won't call, text or email out of the blue for your Medicare number or a payment.
An unexpected call asking you to "verify" your number.
Medicare won't try to sell you anything.
A "Medicare" caller pushing a new plan or extra benefits.
If you got this message.
- Hang up. Don't give your Medicare, Social Security, bank or card number.
- If you want to check, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) yourself.
- Ignore texts and emails about Medicare cards or benefits, and don't click their links.
- Compare plans during Open Enrollment through sources you choose, not callers who reach out to you.
- Report the scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
If you already clicked, paid or shared information.
If you gave your Medicare number, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) and tell them.
Read your Medicare Summary Notices and benefit statements for any service or equipment you didn't get. Report errors to Medicare.
Contact your local Senior Medicare Patrol for help spotting and reporting Medicare fraud and errors.
If you gave bank or card details, call the number on the back of your card or in the official app.
If you gave your Social Security number, follow the steps at IdentityTheft.gov and freeze your credit.
Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Money already sent? Start with the free C.A.L.M. recovery wizard or get step-by-step help. And watch out for anyone who offers to get it back for a fee.
Not sure about a message?
Check it in a minute.
Answer a few yes-or-no questions and see how risky it looks.
Try the scam checker
How OwlGuardian helps
Make the next scam bounce off.
OwlGuardian does not block calls. Medicare scam emails in Gmail are quarantined with an alert to the Trusted Contact. For a text or a letter that looks official, say "Hey Siri, call my Owl" to screenshot the text or photograph the letter and get a verdict in about five seconds.
OwlGuardian quietly checks your parent's Gmail with AI, moves scam emails out of sight, and asks you before anything risky gets through. $4.99/month after a 30-day free trial.
Questions people ask.
Does Medicare call you about a new card?
What happens if I gave a scammer my Medicare number?
Why am I getting so many Medicare calls?
How do I report a Medicare scam call?
Sources
The example above is illustrative, written from the patterns official sources describe. Phone numbers and web addresses in it are fake.
Related scams.
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Grandparent scam (family emergency and AI voice cloning)
The grandparent scam is a call from someone pretending to be a grandchild or other relative in an emergency, such as an arrest or a car accident, who needs money right away and asks you to keep it secret.
How to spot it
The Night Watch · weekly
One short email a week about the scams going around
What's hitting inboxes and phones right now, what it looks like, and the one thing to tell your parents. Written in plain English.