Medicare recipients need to remain vigilant when it comes to their Medicare participant information. Scammers, both foreign and domestic, routinely target the personal health information of Medicare recipients for purposes of fraudulently billing the government health system for medical services, equipment, or medications that were neither needed nor received.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) warns consumers to watch out for unsolicited contacts from individuals claiming to offer free genetic testing to screen for heart conditions or cancer. These scams may come in phone calls, emails, door to door, or even setting up tables at senior centers or health fairs. Commonly, scammers will utilize official-sounding business names or spoof their Caller ID to appear they are calling from a government entity.
While genetic testing may have legitimate purposes, the BBB urges consumers to check with their physician before agreeing to these costly tests and never share their Medicare number with anyone other than their physician’s office.
If you, or someone you know, has been the victim of Medicare fraud, call 1-800-633-4227 or visit Medicare.gov for more information.
