What you don’t know CAN hurt you – especially if scammers are using it against you. CMS is sending out new Medicare cards. Some beneficiaries don’t know this, however, and many others are only vaguely aware of the process. Con artists are taking advantage of this to steal people’s money and personal information.
To Avoid Being Tricked, Medicare Beneficiaries Need to Know the Facts.
CMS is sending the new Medicare cards out via mail between April 2018 and April 2019. The new cards no longer use the individual’s Social Security Number. Instead, they use a new number called the Medicare Beneficiary Identifier. This is being done to help keep people’s private information secure and make identity theft more difficult.
As long as their address is up to date so they can receive mail from CMS, Medicare beneficiaries do not need to do anything extra to receive the new cards. They should be able to start using the new card as soon as they receive it. The old card should be safely destroyed – in other words, shred it.
Scammers Are a Persistent Lot.
When scammers heard that Medicare was creating new cards to thwart their cons, they didn’t throw in the towel. No, according to warnings from the Better Business Bureau, they devised new schemes based on the cards.
There are many variations, but most of them start with a phone call from someone who claims to work for CMS.
- The scammer may ask you to mail the old card to the address he or she supplies. This is a ploy to get your Social Security Number. You’re supposed to shred your old card.
- The scammer may ask you to confirm your personal information, including your Social Security Number, so the new card can be sent out. CMS is not doing this. If you’re worried that your information, especially your address, is not current, you can update it at the Social Security site.
- The scammer may say you have to pay a fee to receive the new card. CMS is not changing a fee for the new cards. Do not give the scammers any money or your financial information.
Scammers are taking advantage of the new cards right now, but they are always trying something. Here are some additional tips to stay safe.
- Don’t give your personal information out to strangers. This includes your Social Security Number and the new Medicare Beneficiary Identifier.
- Don’t trust a caller just because the number looks legitimate in your caller ID. Scammers have ways to fake, or “spoof,” this number.
- Some scammers may try to threaten you. They may say you’re in trouble because you owe money, for example, or that there’s an urgent problem you have to fix now. They’re trying to scare you into giving them what they want. Stay calm and hang up. If you’re worried, contact Medicare