Please be aware of the Medicare scam !

[Loretta Riddell (Elohi)]

Please be aware of the Medicare scam !

For more information about your Medicare card, visit :

https://www.medicare.gov/ forms-help-and-resources/your- Medicare-card.html

Medicare.gov: the official U.S. government site for Medicare
www.medicare.gov
A federal government website managed and paid for by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244

Hi all,

Just a heads up that there is a scam going around involving the new Medicare Cards coming out in April. Pass it along. It might come in handy to know Medicare will never call you on the phone.

It is true that the new cards will be sent out from April 2018 to April 2019. Medicare has also warned on scams. They do not charge for cards or want your personal information over the phone.

This change is coming up. DO NOT give out information over the phone. Medicare Cards without Social Security Numbers Coming in ..

Example of new Medicare cards

This is pretty important to get to people with Medicare, their families, and friends or adult kids who help parents with Medicare

Here's what you need to know to protect yourself, family and friends, throughout the US.

Starting 4/1/18 Medicare will start a year-long project to replace all current Medicare cards for beneficiaries to convert to alphanumeric ID numbers. Currently, the ID number is your social security number.

This is starting to hit the media.

Scammers are opportunistic.

First of all the new Medicare card will come to you in the mail. You don't need to request it or do anything. It will show up.

WHAT'S THE SCAM?

Somebody (Pretending to be from Medicare) from "MEDICARE " will call to tell you-you are getting a new Medicare card. But until it comes you will need a temporary card.

Fee for the card is between $5-50 dollars. They want personal information, bank account or credit card so they can process your temporary card.

THINGS TO REMEMBER

Medicare will never call you unless you ask them to.

Medicare does all communications by mail unless you ask them to call.

Ditto for anybody saying they "work with Medicare to make sure you get everything you are entitled to" .

Scammer alert

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THIS ONE?

First of all, spread the word.

Use your answering machine to screen calls or just don't even answer a number you don't recognize.

If it has happened to you or your friends or loved ones and personal info had been given out (happens considerably more often than you think

so don't feel bad or stupid) immediately take action to protect yourself against identity theft.

[WILLA NYOKA (ADMIN)]

YES I HEARD THAT ALL WILL BE GETTING NEW SOCIAL SECURITY CARDS WITH NO NUMBERS ON THEM AND WITH MY MEMORY LOSS I WON'T REMEMBER MINE. I HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN PHONE CALLS THEY TELL ME THAT THEY WANT ME TO UPDATE MY INFO AND I JUST HANG UP ON THE PERSON WHO CALLS ME. THEY DON'T FOOL ME.SOUNDED LIKE HE WAS FROM INDIA. I DON'T EVER GIVE MY PRIVATE INFO TO ANYONE. I GOT OFF MY DISABILITY AN I AM ON REGULAR SOCIAL SECURITY NOW THEY SWITCH ME ON IT WHEN I TURN 66 YRS OLD LAST YR AT LEAST NOW I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THEM WANTED TO CHECK ON MY DISABILITY ANY MORE. THANKS FOR POSTING THIS LORETTA.