Fraud Against Seniors Part 2

I recently received a phone call from someone letting me know my social security number has been “suspended because of fraudulent activity”. What? Really? You mean I only have to give you my name and social security number to verify that it really was my information that was compromised? Okay, thank you so much for looking out for me!

This happened to me, my husband, my sister who lives in Utah and even my mom in Indiana. Luckily we knew better than to believe them. But I have received this same call from 4 different phone numbers, as I keep blocking the numbers when I get another call. My sister called the social security department to verify this was a scam. Yup it is! Don’t be fooled!  This is happening to young and old across the United States.

In Part 2 of our Fraud Against Seniors “mini series”, learn how to protect you and your loved ones against Medicare and telemarketing scams.

Medicare scams

1. Protect your Medicare number as you do your credit card numbers and do not allow anyone else to use it.
2. Be wary of salespeople trying to sell you something they claim will be paid for by Medicare.
3. Review your Medicare statements to be sure you have in fact received the services billed.
4. Report suspicious activities to 1-800-MEDICARE.

Learn more about how to avoid Medicare scams with these 5 tips from MyMedicareMatters, a trusted service of NCOA.

Telemarketing scams

1. Don’t buy from an unfamiliar company.
2. Always ask for and wait until you receive written material about any offer or charity.
3. Obtain a salesperson’s name, business identity, telephone number, street address, mailing address, and business license number before you transact business.
4. Always take your time in making a decision.
5. If you have information about a fraud scam, report it to state, local, or federal law enforcement agencies.

Taken from https://www.ncoa.org/economic-security/money-management/scams-security/22-tips-to-avoid-scams-swindles/