Cleveland BBB warns of fraud related to open enrollment in Medicare

The Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Cleveland is alerting Northeast Ohio residents to a new scam targeting Medicare, according to a news release.

Open enrollment for Medicare began October 15th and runs through December 7th.

Unfortunately, scammers see this open enrollment period as an opportunity to scam people out of money and personal information, the release said.

According to the press release, BBB Scam Tracker frequently receives reports of scam calls and text messages purporting to be from Medicare.

Consumers report receiving calls from people claiming to be “health care advocates” and working with health care providers or insurers, the release said.

Scammers often use enticing claims that they offer a better, cheaper program or threaten to shut down services.

Once consumers provide their personal information, they are vulnerable to identity theft and future fraud, according to the release.

A Westlake woman told BBB about her experience with a healthcare scammer, the release said.

She reportedly received a call from a man who sounded foreign, said he was on Medicare, and gave her Social Security number and home address as proof.

The woman claimed to have her correct Social Security number but gave the wrong address.

The consumer told BBB that the scammer needed additional Medicare insurance.

The woman said she knew immediately it was a scam and hung up.

She called the number back and a recording said: “Welcome to Health Guard. Please wait for our next representative.”

The woman hung up and reported the scam to BBB.

The Better Business Bureau Serving Greater Cleveland has the following tips to prevent open enrollment scams.

• Be wary of anyone who contacts you unsolicited. Individuals representing Medicare and other health insurance plans will not contact you by phone, email or in person unless you are already enrolled. Be especially wary of threatening calls that require quick action or immediate payment.

• Protect your personal information. Never give your Medicare identification number, Social Security number, health insurance information, credit card numbers or banking information to anyone you do not know.

• Use official websites. You can enroll or re-enroll in Medicare at Medicare.gov or a marketplace health plan at Healthcare.gov. If you have private insurance, use the websites on the back of your insurance card.

• Refuse freebies in exchange for personal information. Be cautious if an industry professional offers gifts, health exams, or medical devices in exchange for providing personally identifiable information (PIP) such as your Medicare ID or Social Security number.

If you are unsure whether a call or offer came from Medicare, or you have given your personal information to someone claiming to be on Medicare, call 800-MEDICARE to report it.

If you suspect fraud while enrolling in the Affordable Care Act, go to HealthCare.gov or call the Health Insurance Marketplace call center at 800-318-2596.

For more tips from BBB to avoid healthcare fraud, visit BBB.org.

If you are a victim of a scam, report it to BBB.org/ScamTracker.

Sharing your experiences can help others avoid falling victim to similar scams, the release said.