Medicare is not calling you

Missoula Aging Services (MAS) received information about an active scam targeting older adults in Montana. In the report, several individuals received multiple calls last week from someone claiming to be from Medicare. This could be a trend in other areas and the Agency would like to remind Medicare recipients to be aware: Medicare does not need to verify your information to get you more benefits. If somebody calls you to tell you that, they're lying. It's another Medicare scam.

In the reports, the caller asks to verify the Medicare recipient’s zip code, type of policy held, the color of their Medicare card and other personal information. In one report, the caller said to the Medicare recipient, “What can I do to convince you that I’m calling from Medicare?”

Statewide Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) Program Director at MAS, Renee Labrie-Shanks, shared the following, "Medicare will never call people on Medicare to ask for or check their Medicare number. As with any unsolicited call, do not give personal information over the phone, whether it’s your Medicare number, Social Security number, bank account information, or your full birthday. Scammers are looking for missing pieces of information to steal your identity.”

Labrie-Shanks added, “To protect yourself from scammers, do not answer your phone if you don’t recognize the number. If it’s important, they will leave a voicemail. Also, always read your Medicare Summary Notices or Medicare Advantage EOB’s, especially if you’ve been receiving calls like these. It may indicate you’ve already been targeted.”

If you think you’ve been a victim of Medicare fraud, call Montana Senior Medicare Patrol: (800) 551-3191 or visit the website: smpresource.org for more information.