Medicare scams are the second-largest source of senior financial fraud after tech support scams. They are also rising fast as the population over 65 grows. Here is what every adult child of an aging parent needs to know.
The four main types of Medicare scam
1. The "new card" scam
"Hi, this is Medicare. We are sending out new cards. We need to verify your Medicare number." The caller asks for the Medicare number (which is now a randomly-generated MBI, but often matches what is on the old card).
The reality: Medicare does not call you. New cards are mailed automatically, no verification needed. Anyone calling about a new card is a scammer.
2. The "free service" scam
"You qualify for a free knee brace / back brace / diabetic supplies / genetic test. We just need your Medicare number to process it."
The reality: Medicare does not cold-call to offer services. The "free" item is either never sent, or is sent and billed fraudulently to Medicare (which raises premiums for everyone).
3. The Medicare Advantage push
"You are losing your benefits unless you switch plans today." Aggressive sales tactic, sometimes from a real plan, sometimes a scam.
The reality: Benefits do not disappear overnight. Open enrollment is the time to switch plans, and only after careful comparison. No legitimate plan needs your decision in the next 10 minutes.
4. The "refund" scam
"You are due a refund from Medicare. We just need your bank account to deposit it." Variant: "Verify your bank info to receive your refund check."
The reality: Medicare does not "refund" anyone. Anyone offering a Medicare refund is a scammer trying to steal bank info.
What Medicare will actually do
Real Medicare communicates by:
- Mail. New cards, Medicare Summary Notices, plan information.
- The official website at Medicare.gov.
- The official phone number 1-800-MEDICARE. They only call back if you call first.
Real Medicare will never:
- Call you out of the blue.
- Ask for your Medicare number or Social Security number on the phone.
- Threaten to cancel your benefits.
- Ask for payment.
- Offer free services in exchange for your Medicare number.
The script your parent should use
For any unexpected call claiming to be from Medicare:
"Thank you. I will call Medicare directly to verify. What is your name and reference number?"
Then hang up. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). Ask if the call was real.
Scammers cannot give a real reference number. Real Medicare reps welcome the verification call.
What to do if your parent already gave the Medicare number
If they gave their Medicare number to a scammer:
- Call 1-800-MEDICARE. Report the incident. They can flag the account.
- Monitor the Medicare Summary Notices (sent quarterly) for charges your parent did not authorize.
- Report to the Office of the Inspector General at oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud.
- If they also gave Social Security info: place a credit freeze with Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.
The setup that helps
Three things to do for your parent:
- Save 1-800-MEDICARE as a contact in their phone. Name it "MEDICARE OFFICIAL." So if they ever need to call Medicare, they call the real number, not whatever shows up on caller ID.
- Turn on call screening. iPhone: Settings > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers. Most legitimate organizations leave a voicemail; scammers usually do not.
- Print the rule. "If anyone calls about Medicare, hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE to verify." Tape it next to the phone.
The Medicare Advantage open enrollment trap
Each fall (October 15 to December 7), Medicare open enrollment runs. This is when scammers are most active because real plan calls are also happening.
During this period:
- Real plan changes can be made at Medicare.gov or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE.
- SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) counselors offer free, unbiased plan comparison help. Find local counselors at shiphelp.org.
- Any unsolicited call from a plan should be treated with suspicion.
Help your parent compare plans yourself or via SHIP. Do not let high-pressure phone reps drive the decision.
The lifeline your parent needs
Medicare fraud usually unfolds in 30 minutes. The scam call comes in, the panic builds, the info gets shared. The single defense that breaks this: a second pair of eyes before any info is shared.
Kinline catches Medicare scam calls by listening for the patterns. Your parent forwards the call or describes it. Kinline flags it in seconds and alerts you. No Medicare number changes hands. No fraud charge ever appears.
For more on scam protection, see how to help parents identify scam calls in real time and our roundup of senior scams.