Medicare card scam targets seniors for personal info

Feb. 2—Ohio seniors need to be alert for the "New Medicare Card" telephone scam.

Scammers pose as employees of the Social Security Administration, Medicare or Ohio Department of Insurance to call their intended victims to say the person needs a new Medicare card or to turn in their paper card for a plastic one and then request their personal information, said Ohio Department of Insurance Director Judith French.

Government agencies, such as the Social Security Administration, Medicare and the Ohio Department of Insurance do not call Ohioans on Medicare without already knowing their information, according to a release from French's office.

How Ohioans on Medicare can protect themselves: — Never give personal information, including Medicare, Social Security, bank account and credit card numbers, to anyone who contacts you unsolicited by telephone, email, text, or in person, such as door-to-door sales. — Know that Medicare will never call you to sell anything, visit your home, or enroll you over the phone unless you called first. — Keep in mind that Medicare or Medicare health plans will only call and request personal information if you are a plan member or you called and left a message.

Ohioans who suspect or have been victimized by a Medicare scam should contact the Ohio Senior Medicare Patrol at 800-488-6070 or proseniors.org.

Ohioans with Medicare questions can contact the Ohio Department of Insurance's Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP) at 800-686-1578, [email protected], and insurance.ohio.gov. OSHIIP is the state's official Medicare educational and counseling program.

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