Don’t wait until it’s too late: safeguard your Medicare number now

We all put our hard-earned money into our health insurance plans and trust that our information is always being kept private. However, scammers will do everything they can to try to get whatever they can on you, and recently, many of these cybercriminals are going after Medicare numbers. Here are some of my tips to make sure this never happens to you.

 

Why would a scammer want my Medicare number?

Believe it or not, your Medicare number can open a whole world of information for a malicious hacker. Once obtained, a hacker can pretty much use your medical insurance as if it were their own. They can make copayments, file for claims and reimbursements, get any kind of treatment that your benefits cover, and completely max out your benefits without you knowing.

This means that if you have a medical emergency and need to use your benefits, you may find that you cannot get the care you need because the scammer has already used everything you have. Their medical history will become part of your medical history, and you would be sent all the medical bills to pay off. It can be an innocent person’s worst nightmare.

 

What are some warning signs I should know about?

If you are unaware of the warning signs indicating that your Medicare number has been stolen, it will be difficult to detect and prevent fraud at an early stage. So here are things to look out for.

1. Unsolicited call asking to confirm Medicare number

One clear sign is when someone calls you asking you to confirm your Medicare number. Many scammers will pretend to be Medicare representatives over the phone and have public information on you, like your name and date of birth. A Medicare representative will never call you over the phone unless they are invited to do so first. Do not give your Medicare number to anyone you do not know over the phone. 

MORE: DO NOT FALL FOR THIS MEDICAL EQUIPMENT SCAM

2. Asking for your social security number and banking info

A scammer may also ask for your details like your Social Security Number and banking information which you should never give away either whether it’s over the phone or via email.

3. Tricking you into a healthcare setting

Some scammers will even try to trick you into a healthcare setting where you might feel safe such as an examination room or pharmacy counter. You should not be discussing Medicare plans with anyone other than your doctor and the insurance company itself. 

4. Pushing for a payment

A scammer will push for a payment online or over the phone without sending you a bill or will pressure you to sign an enrollment form before you’re ready.

5. Pitching a different product

Scammers may pitch a different product, such as a life insurance policy, instead of sticking to Medicare plans.

6.  Charging you a fee to turn your enrollment into a plan

The process of enrolling in a Medicare plan can be complicated and overwhelming for many people. Unfortunately, scammers often take advantage of this confusion by offering fraudulent services that promise to help people navigate the enrollment process.

7. Requesting you share contact information for your loved ones

Scammers may also request that you share the names, phone numbers, and addresses of your family members and friends so they can pitch their scams to them.

8. Visiting you without your invitation

A fraudster might also attempt to pull off a Medicare scam by visiting you without your invitation to sell you a plan.

9. Offering freebies

Scammers may offer free gifts or other incentives to entice you to sign up for their plan. For example, they may offer a free health screening or a gift card in exchange for enrolling. Don’t fall for these freebies.

 

How can I prevent this from happening?

1) If you ever receive a call out of the blue from someone claiming to be from Medicare, hang up.  If someone comes to your door claiming to be from Medicare don’t answer the door. 

2) If you know your information has been stolen already, or if you’re simply getting a new Medicare card, it’s best that you destroy your old Medicare card and contact Medicare immediately to get a new one. Some imposters try to claim that you need to return your old Medicare card to get a new one. However, this is just a way for them to get your information. The government recommends that you never give your old card to anyone and always destroy your old card. 

FOR MORE OF MY TIPS, SUBSCRIBE TO MY FREE CYBERGUY REPORT NEWSLETTER HERE

MORE: TOP WAYS TO SAFEGUARD AGAINST SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER FRAUD

3) Only give your Medicare number to your trusted healthcare providers, such as doctors, pharmacists, insurers, and state health agencies that work with Medicare. Anyone else asking for that information is likely a scammer.

4) Use Identity theft protection.  You should also consider using a fraud protection service to keep yourself safe from identity theft.

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5) Remove your personal information from the internet: While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice.  They aren’t cheap – and neither is your privacy.  These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites.  It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet.  By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.

My top recommendation is Incogni, which has a very clean interface and will scan 195 websites for your information and remove it and keep it removed.

Special for CyberGuy Readers (60% off):  Incogni offers A 30-day money-back guarantee and then charges a special CyberGuy discount only through the links in this article of $5.99/month for one person (billed annually) or $13.19/month for your family (up to 4 people) on their annual plan and get a fully automated data removal service, including recurring removal from 175+ data brokers.  You can add up to 3 emails, 3 home addresses and 3 phone numbers (U.S. citizens only) and have them removed from data-broker databases.  I recommend the family plan because it works out to only $4.12 per person per month for year-round coverage. It’s an excellent service, and I highly recommend at least trying it out to see what it’s all about.

Get Incogni here

Get Incogni for your family (up to 4 people) here

 

 

Have you been a victim of a Medicare scam?  Let us know by commenting below.

FOR MORE OF MY TIPS, SUBSCRIBE TO MY FREE CYBERGUY REPORT NEWSLETTER HERE

 

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13 comments

Kim May 17, 2023 - 7:59 am
We've been receiving packages of covid tests in the mail from labs all over the country since January 2023. We never ordered ANY of them. We have reported this to Medicare, and they are investigating it, but they didn't suggest changing our Medicare number. Yes, the covid tests are being billed to Medicare in our names.
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