Whether it’s through Medicaid, Medicare, or a private insurance company, most of us have a health plan to help pay for doctor visits, prescriptions, and other costs. Unfortunately, scammers know that, and use it to prey on consumers.
How does a health insurance scam work?
Scammers know when important dates like open enrollment are coming up. During these times, you might receive a phone call, see an ad, or receive a piece of mail offering big discounts on health plans. It could even be an offering to assist you with the oftentimes confusing process of signing up for health care.
Be skeptical of these kinds of communications. Scammers make big promises all in the hope of collecting your social security number, insurance details, or other personal information.
How do I spot a health insurance scam?
Similar to other imposter scams, insurance scammers will lie, saying they belong to a legitimate insurance company or even the government. They will pressure you, trying to rush you into a decision. They may even have some of your personal information already, attempting to gain your trust by sending you an email or text with your full name and birthdate. Whenever someone asks for your information, that should be a red flag. Hang up the phone, close the email, or put down the piece of mail and do some research.
With Medicare scams specifically, call the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to talk with someone you can trust to determine whether the message you received is genuine or a scammer.
What should I do if I’ve already given someone my information or given them money?
If you’ve sent money to a scammer, contact the company you used to process that payment immediately. Reporting fraud to your bank, credit card company, the company you bought a gift card from, a cryptocurrency exchange, or any other payment processing company can help reverse it.
Report any scams, fraud, or suspicious business activity to the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.
