COLUMBUS, Ohio — Medicare recipients across Ohio are being warned to be aware of telephone scammers looking to steal their personal information.
What You Need To Know
- Ohioans on Medicare are being warned of telephone scammers
- The scammers are trying to obtain personal information
- Ohio Senior Medicare Patrol can be reached at 800-488-6070 or proseniors.org to report scams
According to Ohio Department of Insurance director Judith L. French, it's being referred to as the "New Medicare Card" scam. The perpetrators pose as representatives of various government agencies, including the Social Security Administration, the Ohio Department of Insurance or Medicare itself.
Those who answer the calls are typically told they need a new Medicare card or have to exchange a paper card for a plastic card, then asked to provide personal information.
Actual representatives from those government agencies do not cold call Ohio residents who are on Medicare.
Here are key reminders from the Ohio Department of Insurance:
- Never give personal information, including Medicare, Social Security, bank account, and credit card numbers, to anyone who contacts 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.
If someone is worried they might have fallen victim to such a scam, they are encouraged to call Ohio Senior Medicare Patrol at 800-488-6070 or visit the website proseniors.org.
Resources can also be found at the state's official Medicare educational and counseling program, the Ohio Department of Insurance's Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP) at 800-686-1578. They can also be reached via email at oshiipmail@insurance.ohio.gov, or on the web at insurance.ohio.gov.