You might think you’d know to hang up on a scam caller right away. But Medicare scam callers use tricks to sound real.

A Medicare scam call can sound a lot like a real Medicare call. It might even show “Medicare” on your caller ID. Since your health care is important, you need to be careful and protect yourself from people who might try to trick you.

How to identify a Medicare scam call

Medicare will never call you unless you call them first. For example, if you call for help with a new plan after hours, a Medicare representative will only call you back if you left a message asking them to.

But that alone isn’t enough to spot a scam. If you’re already expecting a call back, you might think a scam call is from Medicare. Besides an unexpected call, here are some ways to tell if you’re talking to a scammer:

• They ask for personal information: A scammer might ask for your Medicare ID number, Social Security number, or bank account details. Medicare won’t ask for this info over the phone, especially if you didn’t call them first. Scammers might already have some of this info if it was leaked or if they found it online.
• They pressure you into making a decision: The person on the phone might tell you to decide something right away. They might pressure you to sign up for or change a plan, or try to scare you into accepting their offer. For example, they might say your benefits will be canceled, your card will expire, or that your Medicare card info is wrong and ask you to confirm your ID number.
• They try to offer you a special deal: Medicare scammers might tell you to switch your plan to get special offers, like lower premiums or limited-time benefits. They might offer free medical equipment, discounted medicine, special services, or even genetic testing. A true Medicare representative will not offer these by phone, and they will be included in your plan from the time you sign up.
• You see a suspicious caller ID number: The caller ID can make for an easy way to spot a scam, but it isn’t always the most reliable. If you pick up an unknown number, especially if your caller ID shows a private number, that’s the first sign you’re receiving a Medicare scam call. However, sometimes the caller ID will show it’s from Medicare, even if it isn’t. Many Medicare scammers use spoofing to disguise their real phone number and make it appear as a trusted source.

What to do if you receive a Medicare scam call

As soon as you suspect the call is a scam, hang up. Do not provide the scammer with any of your personal information or confirm any information they request. This includes your name, address, Social Security number, and any information related to your Medicare account and coverage. If the caller offers you a new plan, a change to your current plan, or a special offer, do not accept it.

Once you’ve hung up the scam call, review your Medicare accounts to ensure they are accurate. To start, you should:

• Check your statements from Medicare and your providers to ensure the charges match up
• Compare the dates of services and appointments with your statement dates
• Confirm you received or used the services listed
• Learn what your plan offers before you sign up
• Understand how Medicare uses your personal information and how it might contact you

A Medicare scam caller might call back—sometimes multiple times in a row from the same or different phone numbers. Do not answer these calls. Picking up a scam call tells the person on the other end that your number is active. Then, they are more likely to call you again.

What type of information are scammers looking for?

Most scammers will ask you for various kinds of personal information, depending on how they want to use it. They may ask for your Medicare card number, social security number, account passwords, bank account numbers, or credit and debit card numbers.

This information helps scammers pretend to be you. Once they have what they asked for, they may use it to access your accounts for their gain or to sell to others.

How are Medicare scam calls framed?

Medicare scammers always call you without you asking for it. They usually say they are from Medicare or another government office.

Next, they will likely ask you to verify your Medicare account information. They will often use pressure tactics and may offer convincing benefits. Those perks may include better coverage or free supplies to make you say yes on the call.

If a real Medicare representative calls you, they may ask you to confirm certain information. However, Medicare will not ask you to give them in-depth personal details, ask about your financials, or offer special coverage or supplies.

Why do people make Medicare scam calls?

Younger demographics are more likely to fall for scams, but scammers target Americans over 60 specifically for their Medicare information.¹ Older scam victims also tend to have more financial loss from scams.

Most scammers target adults over 60 by phone, rather than other sources, such as email.

Typically, Medicare scam callers aim to use or sell your information for fraudulent purposes. They may use your information to:

• File false claims with Medicare
• Steal your medical identity and falsely charge you for services
• Send your medications to themselves, often to sell to other scammers
• Commit fraud and steal from your bank account
• Use a recording of your voice to make purchases that get charged to your accounts
• Scam you again in the future

Early in the call, a scammer may ask you a question as simple as, “Can you hear me?” In these cases, they want to record you saying “yes.” They then use those recordings to confirm fraudulent purchases as you.²

Where do Medicare scammers call from?

Over 91% of spam calls received in the US come from within the US, with a small percentage made internationally.³ Most of those calls are made to Texas, Florida, and California.

Still, Medicare scams happen in all 50 states. Even if the area code shows it’s near you, the caller could still be located anywhere in the US or another country.

Medicare scam calls are hard to trace to their true location. Most of the time, you won’t know where the call is coming from, even if you see an area code in the caller ID.

Spoofing will show Medicare or another legitimate government body as the caller. The number may show your area code or a known area code for a nearby Medicare office. For example, if your closest Medicare office is in Boston, the scam call might show a Boston area code.

Medicare scammers typically call from the United States. That’s where the information is most likely to be useful to them, especially if they want to use your insurance information for fraud or financial gain.

When do Medicare scams happen?

Medicare scam calls typically occur during the open enrollment period, which spans from October 15 to December 7 each year.⁴ During open enrollment, more people contact Medicare. It’s easier for them to mistake a scammer for a Medicare representative returning the call, especially if they are expecting a return call from Medicare.

During open enrollment, scammers are more likely to trick people by saying they are pre-approved for other plans, making it seem urgent that plans are about to expire, or claiming there were mistakes with plan sign-ups. They try to take advantage of you when you are most worried and likely to share your personal information.

Medicare scams can happen at any time, not only during open enrollment. If you receive a call from Medicare, assess for any signs of a scam. If they are, report the call to Medicare.

How to report a Medicare scammer

Medicare has a fraud report hotline at 1-800-MEDICARE (633-4227) and a website where you can submit fraud reports.⁵ Before you submit your fraud report, check the Medicare website for guidelines.

To file a complaint, you need the name and contact info of the person who called you. You may not have their real name or phone number, but you can submit the number from your caller ID. Write down what happened and include any proof, like your record of the call.⁶ Medicare needs all the details to look into your complaint.

Scam calls might seem like a small bother, but reporting them helps protect people from getting tricked. It keeps everyone, including you, safe from losing money and helps more people learn how to spot Medicare scams.

Disclaimer

For full information, visit www.medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day/7 days a week.

References

1. Federal Trade Commission. 2022, December 8. “Who experiences scams? A story for all ages.” https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/data-visualizations/data-spotlight/2022/12/who-experiences-scams-story-all-ages
2. Clatsop County, Oregon. (n.d.) “Say Yes” Phone Scam. Accessed 2025, June 19. https://www.clatsopcounty.gov/sheriff/page/say-yes-phone-scam
3. Truecaller. 2025 May. “Truecaller U.S. Spam Scorecard.” https://www.truecaller.com/us-spam-stats
4. Medicare.gov. (n.d.) “Joining a Plan.” Accessed 2025, June 19. https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare/get-more-coverage/joining-a-plan
5. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.) “Submit a Hotline Complaint.” Accessed 2025, June 19. https://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud/
6. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.) “Before You Submit a Complaint.” Accessed 2025, June 19. https://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud/before-you-submit/