General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsUrgent: Has anyone else gotten a call allegedly from Medicare...
saying their current card, with the red, white and blue stripes across the top is being canceled at the end of this month and they need personal information to send out a new card?
I got that call this morning from two guys with foreign accents insisting on gather personal info from me such as height, weight and info from my current card. They had my address and name but it sounds like a scam to me to create a false identity.
I haven't heard anything about current SS cards being phased out/canceled and replaced.
Does anyone know anything about this?
dchill
(38,433 posts)dweller
(23,610 posts)Its a scam
✌🏻
Yup
OLDMDDEM
(1,568 posts)It's a scam. I get calls from "Medicare" at least once a week.
LoisB
(7,173 posts)information to anyone. Government agencies do not contact you by telephone (unless it's a call back-good luck with that), they write letters.
MineralMan
(146,248 posts)It sends mail, via USPS. If you've signed up on the website, you can also get emails, but they never...ever...call you.
That's true of most legitimate organizations and businesses. Just tap the hang-up button.
ProfessorGAC
(64,827 posts)Medicare, Social Security, IRS, almost all state agencies....
They send notices in the mail. They don't call people on the phone.
MineralMan
(146,248 posts)every day. My rule is that I absolutely never give any information to anyone who calls me on the phone. If something is legitimate, I can Google a contact number for whatever organization they claim to be with and initiate my own phone call. Everyone should do the same.
Anyone can pretend to be anyone when they call you. If you call the phone number for the organization for yourself, after looking it up on that organization's actual website, you can call and ask if they had tried to contact you. Usually, they tell you it was a scam.
I just hang up on such calls.
piddyprints
(14,637 posts)do their business via USPS. They will not initiate a phone call.
It's a scam.
Scam
marie999
(3,334 posts)In-state calls I only answer from certain areas. I have everyone I know on my contact list. If I don't answer the phone they get a message saying "I don't answer the phone from people I don't know if you are legit leave me a message or write me.
ProfessorGAC
(64,827 posts)...and my cellphone are Xfinity.
Their security system for both lists the location, & puts up an alert that it's an unverified number, them gives a rating of spam risk. Low, medium, high, very high spam risk.
If I don't see the "v", no way I'm answering, even if the risk is called low.
Besides, that's what voicemail is for.
luv2fly
(2,475 posts)If it's really important, people leave messages.
This approach never fails me.
leftyladyfrommo
(18,864 posts)to voicemail.
yardwork
(61,533 posts)StarryNite
(9,434 posts)Phone Calls
Scam operators (many with foreign accents) call beneficiaries claiming to represent Medicare. They may say that new Medicare benefits cards are being issued and threaten to cancel Medicare coverage unless the beneficiarys information is updated; claim they can improve benefits; verify your new Medicare card number to make sure you received your card; tell you to send in your old one, or claim they are selling Medicare policies. The caller might even ask for your information to send you a gift card. Sometimes, theyre selling phony products such as supplemental or prescription drug Medicare plans.
The whole purpose of all of these calls is to obtain your personal information, whether that is your Medicare card number, your Social Security number, or banking information. Some of these scammers even have the technological ability to make the call appear on caller ID as if it is coming from an official place. And they can sound legit. Some will say anything to try to gain a persons trust. In some cases, the criminals have done their homework and can use things that are true to add credibility to their story and get you to respond.
[link:https://www.seniorsmatter.com/6-medicare-scams-to-watch-out-for/2491847/|
leftyladyfrommo
(18,864 posts)They would do everything by mail.
Don't give out any info at all.
JustABozoOnThisBus
(23,315 posts)Just send name, adderss, mother virgin name, social number, and big check to
Prince Bozo
First Natural Bank of Lagos
Lagos, Nigeria
I will make you very rich and famous.