In April the federal government started mailing new Medicare cards. They are being mailed randomly for security purposes and it will take more than a year for everyone to receive their new card – but that hasn’t stopped the scammers.
In March results from a survey conducted by the AARP and Alan Newman Research found that 75 per cent of respondents (65+) knew little or nothing about the fact that new cards are being sent. And, 60 per cent of people 65+ didn’t know if Medicare was charging a processing fee or not. To be perfectly clear, Medicare is NOT charging a processing fee or any other fee. There is NO activation process. And, they are not asking for personal information. Medicare never makes out-going calls to ask for or verify personal information.
Another twist on this scam is scam artists are calling people to tell them they are receiving a new Medicare card but until it comes they need a temporary card. The fee for this “card” ranges from $5 to $50. They want personal information, bank information or credit card number so they can process the “temporary” card. Medicare recipients DO NOT need a “temporary” card. They use their old one until the new one arrives in the mail. The old cards are valid until December 31.2019. Medicare benefits are the same for this period of time whether the recipient uses the old card or the new one.
Creative as ever, scammers have some up with another way for seniors to part with their secure information. They call and tell card holders they have a refund on their old Medicare card and need to provide their bank information to process the return of the funds! A twist on this scam is that the caller says there is a problem with the new Medicare card in that someone else tried to use it and they need to verify the recipient’s information. They also may call asking the recipient to verify their Social Security number, address or other personal information before the new Medicare card will be sent. Once again, neither Medicare nor the Social Security Administration will ever call and ask for personal information.
The callers can become extremely aggressive – calling many times of the day and night trying to wear down the victim. The internet gives the callers a leg up as they can obtain some personal information through social media and other sources. They often have obtained the victims social security number so, to a senior, they sound legitimate.
Like all scams via telephone the best action the person can take to is hang up immediately. Some seniors think by telling them to stop calling or engaging them in a long conversation to “out do” them is the best way to deal with this issue – but it is not. Answering any questions will put the senior in more danger, as eventually they may let their guard down and give out important information that should be kept secure.
Once the new Medicare arrives the recipient needs to shred their old card using a cross-cut shredder as the number is usually the same as their Social Security number.
Fraud has permeated our daily lives, take action to keep the seniors in your life safe. Call us if you have questions or need help.
