The Vermont Attorney General’s office periodically issues fraud warnings to attorneys and others and asks that the warnings be shared with as many people as possible. Here is a recent warning from the Vermont Attorney General’s office:
Scammers are posing as Medicare saying they need your Medicare card number or Social Security Number to issue a new card or to verify medical information. Calls may also claim that your coverage is expiring or in need of renewal. During Medicare Open Enrollment and all year, hang up on these unsolicited calls!
This scam attempts to gain access to your Medicare card number or social security number to commit Medicare fraud and identity theft. Never provide personal information or payment to unknown callers.
Be particularly cautious: the calls originate from a spoofed number, appearing as local phone numbers on your caller ID, and the scammer is a live caller.
If you are concerned about your Medicare plan, contact Medicare directly at 1-800-MEDICARE, or a representative of the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) at 800-642-5119 to assist you in navigating Medicare enrollment.
Please help us stop these scams by sharing the information with someone you know. If you have questions about this scam, or have provided personal information to the scammers, please call the Consumer Assistance Program at 800-649-2424.