Straight Talk – Scams return with open enrollment

Better Business Bureau serving Canton Region and Greater West Virginia offers tips and advice for consumers to avoid fraudulent practices.

If you are adding or changing your Medicare.gov or Healthcare.gov coverage during open enrollment, watch out for unsolicited calls claiming to "help" you find the best deal.

Unfortunately, scammers see this time as a chance to trick people out of money and personal information. Open enrollment runs through Dec. 7 (Medicare) or Dec. 15 (Healthcare.gov).

How the scam works

Although the open enrollment period has just begun, BBB.org/ScamTracker has already gotten numerous reports of scam calls pretending to be from Medicare. In one report, the target received "an automated message from Medicare offering to help me. When I followed the prompts, it led me to a nice-sounding male who claimed to be working for Medicare."

If you stay on the line, these callers claim they can enroll you in a better plan than what you currently have, according to BBB.org/ScamTracker reports. This new plan is cheaper, and you can keep all the same services. To get started, all you need to do is provide some personal information, such as your Medicare ID number.

No matter how good the deal sounds and how convincing the caller seems, do not do it! The call is a scam and sharing personal information will open you up to identity theft.

How to spot this scam

Selecting a health insurance plan can be challenging and complex. Be on the lookout for common red flags. Be wary of anyone who contacts you out of the blue. Healthcare.gov and Medicare provide legitimate help with figuring out which plan (healthcare.gov/apply-and-enroll/get-help-applying) is right for you. These people, sometimes called Navigators or Assisters, are not allowed to charge for their support. If someone asks you for payment, it is a scam. You will also need to contact them. They will not call you first.

Be wary of free gifts and "health screenings." Keep a healthy level of skepticism any time a broker offers you free gifts (BBB.org/article/scams/13033-scam-alert-beware-of-the-medicare-back-brace-scam) or other special deals. Never sign up with a broker who offers you an expensive sign-up gift in exchange for providing your Medicare ID number or additional personally identifiable information. Other times, brokers offer free "health screenings" to weed out people who are less healthy (bit.ly/healthinsurancescam). This technique is called "cherry picking" and is against Medicare rules.

Guard your government-issued numbers. Never offer your Medicare ID number, Social Security number, health plan info, or banking information to anyone you do not know.

Go directly to official websites. If you want to make changes to your health care plan, go directly to Medicare.gov, Healthcare.gov, or your employer's health insurance provider. Do not click on links in suspicious messages.

Contact your employer directly. If you receive an unexpected email about benefits policies, ask your employer about it before you click on anything to make sure it is legitimate.

For more information: If you are unsure whether a call or offer is from Medicare or you gave your personal information to someone claiming to be with Medicare, call 1-800-MEDICARE to report it. If you suspect fraud when signing up for ACA coverage, go to HealthCare.gov or call the Health Insurance Marketplace call center at 800-318-2596.

For BBB information: Visit BBB.org/canton or call 330-454-9401 to look up a business, file a complaint, write a customer review, read tips, find our events, follow us on social media, and more!