The Iowa Insurance Division says the state’s seniors and other Medicare recipients are increasingly being targeted by scammers. They have recently received reports of several different variations on the same theme, including scammers telling potential victims: that Medicare is issuing new metal or COVID-19 black and white cards; the card has to be replaced because suspicious activity was flagged related to that number; or that a new card is needed for expanded and/or enhanced services. These are all attempts to get the victim to supply personally-identifiable information, such as the Medicare number or their birth date and financial account numbers. Often, these calls are spoofed, a process in which the scammer manipulates caller ID so the call appears to originate from a legitimate source. The Iowa Insurance Division reminds beneficiaries that Medicare will NEVER ask for you personal information or Medicare number unless you directly contact them yourself. “It is important for Iowans to protect their Medicare number and not give it to unknown callers,” says Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) and Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) Director, Kristin Griffith. “Medicare will rarely contact you by phone, and if so, you can also hang up and call Medicare back to confirm that the call is legitimate and not a scam.” If you or someone close to you suspects Medicare fraud, errors or abuse, contact Iowa SHIIP/SMP at 800-351-4664 or log on to www.smp.iowa.gov.
