Ok, does Medicare call you?

[XanaDUer2]

I get a lot of spam calls. Some woman just called me about "my Medicare card". I got one in the mail. I asked was she selling me something, she said no and hung up.

Wtf? She was very difficult to understand

[Srkdqltr]

1. They call from time to time. Difficult to understand. They want to know if you got your new

Medicare Care. It's a scam of some kind. Yell at them and hang up. or just hang up depending on how you feel at the time.

[XanaDUer2]

2. I'm freaking out I missed an important call now nt

Nt

[Tomconroy]

3. I've never had a call. I believe the call was a scam.

[Otto_Harper]

10. This was an attempt to defraud you

You will NEVER get a call from Medicare which will then ask you fr your card number or any other personal information.

DO NOT
Give them your card number.

DO NOT give them any personal information

there are numerous call centers set up throughout the 3rd world trying to get their meat-hooks into your resources. Just HANG UP.

YOU ARE NOT MISSING OUT ON ANYTHING IMPORTANT!!!!!!!

[XanaDUer2]

13. Ty

She sounded upset when I asked her was she selling something

[brush]

17. There's also the variant of the SS card scam. They ask is...

you've gotten the new black and white SS card as the old red, white and blue one is no longer valid.

It's a total scam. Tell them there's no such thing as a new black and white card and then hang up, or just hang up.

[catbyte]

4. Or just don't answer the phone. If I get a call from a number I don't recognize, I let it go to

voicemail. If they leave a message I can decide if it's legit or not. Saves a lot of headaches.

[XanaDUer2]

6. Yeah I'm sorry I answered

We're awaiting a call from a social worker

[catbyte]

27. Yeah, that's tricky. I've been snookered a time or two

Especially since scammers can manipulate area codes to make it look local. If they only used their talents for good instead of evil.

[MMBeilis]

5. I get these calls constantly, two this morning already. It's a scam. They are just trying to get....

.....your Medicare card number so they can send you a bunch of "supplies" that you are "entitled to under Medicare" and then bill medicare under your coverage. Just hang up. They will ask if they can verify your card number, but want you to read it to them first. Difficult to understand because the calls come from a third world phone bank, usually in India. Like I said, just hang up.

[XanaDUer2]

7. I upset her

I couldn't even make out what she was saying

[RussellCattle]

11. Exactly right. I get the same calls. It's gotten so that I say "hello" and hear a few seconds of....

....dead air and then a "boink" sound as someone at the phone bank picks up the line. By this time I'm just hanging up.

[yellowdogintexas]

14. be sure and block the number! nt

[RussellCattle]

18. Thanks but I've tried that and it doesn't seem to work. The caller ID number that comes up....

.....is not the one they are actually using. I'm told that it's called "ghosting" and the phone company tells me that they can't help.

[yellowdogintexas]

32. It's true that they have a ghost number, and several of these calls may actually

originate from the same ghost number. However, the more of them you block, the more likely your phone will start identifying them as scam. My phone gives me a red circle with a line through it on the screen with possible scam in red. I just hit that circle and the call is gone.

For the past year or so, more and more calls come up with that on the screen, and it is so much fun to just kill them.

[Emile]

24. I got one yesterday wanting to send me a back brace, etc etc etc.

I hate these con bastards getting rid of outdated medical devices and milking Medicare.

[GreenWave]

8. I think they would send a letter rather than call.

[XanaDUer2]

12. Right

I'm mad i answered

[RussellCattle]

23. Oh, jeez, I hope you have better luck than me. I got my first call like this about three years ago..

....and it's been an almost daily thing since then.

[JenniferJuniper]

9. Never talk on the phone regarding something you didn't request.

The scam calls are insane these days, and many revolve around Medicare, SS, or the IRS.

[Emile]

15. I always ask, did I call you for help? They usually hang up.

[XanaDUer2]

16. Lol I'm using that nt

[ailsagirl]

19. Just Googled it and what I found

“Remember that Medicare will never call you to sell you anything or visit you at your home. Medicare, or someone representing Medicare, will only call and ask for personal information in limited situations: A Medicare health or drug plan may call you if you're already a member of the plan.”

[XanaDUer2]

20. TY!

If I wasnt expecting an important call i wouldn't have answered. It pisses me off I can't even answer my phone

[ailsagirl]

22. You're welcome

I hear you—I have something on my phone that filters out spam and it does a pretty good job.

[RussellCattle]

21. You won't believe this but as I was just writing response #18 above, my phone rang and the.....

.....caller ID said it was from Loomis, WA. There was the usual delay before a man with an Indian accent came on the line to tell me that I've been chosen to receive medical equipment from Medicare. He had to wonder why I was laughing as I hung up.

[Wonder Why]

25. Not in my contact list? Not answered. Let them leave a message. Numbers, Cities, or out of area code

people's names I don't recognize, all go to voicemail. If I think it might be someone who might not yet be in my contact list, then I'll answer "Who is calling?" and they better identify themselves before they say anything else or I hang up. If there is a delay like robocallers sometimes do I just hang up. NEVER use the word "yes" to someone/company you don't know.

[Straw Man]

26. Very rarely.

It's almost certainly a scam.

[milestogo]

28. No.

And the IRS doesn't call you either.

[malthaussen]

29. Not unless you arrange it with them beforehand.

This is true of most government agencies.

-- Mal

[XanaDUer2]

30. This is true

I now think it was bullshit

[malthaussen]

31. They say "this is important information!" to cause anxiety.

I was getting calls claiming to be from my health insurance company, which told me to call number "x" for important information about my health care plan. So I called the proper CS number, and asked "have you guys been trying to reach me?"
Nope. Scam. There's a special place in Hell for the people who invent such scams.

Same thing with email. Never click on a link in an email unless you are absolutely certain where it goes. Scammers duplicate official-looking forms and try to get you to click on their links, which usually causes a virus. You ever get directed to a link by an official-looking communication, use the CS link to visit the site and see if it is legitimate. It almost never is. Their grammar is getting better, too, you used to be able to tell they were bogus because of numerous howlers in the wording.

-- Mal