Medicare Scams
Older adults lost over $4.85 billion to fraud in 2024 — a 46% increase — with over 147,000 FBI complaints.
Quick Answer
Medicare scams defraud the government and taxpayers of an estimated $60 billion annually by tricking people into providing their personal Medicare number, which is then used to file fraudulent claims.
Think you've seen this scam?
Paste any suspicious text, email, or voicemail into our free checker — get a verdict in 5 seconds. Or get our free Scam Defense Playbook.
Free. No credit card. No signup required for the checker.
How It Works
1
A scammer contacts you unexpectedly via phone call, text message, email, or even a home visit, falsely claiming to be a representative from Medicare, the Social Security Administration, or another government agency.
2
The scammer creates a sense of urgency or enticement. They may threaten to cancel your health benefits, claim your Medicare card is expiring and needs to be replaced with a new plastic or chip card, or offer free medical equipment, genetic testing kits, or prescription drugs.
3
The ultimate goal is to pressure you into revealing your personal information. They will ask you to "verify" your Medicare number, Social Security number, banking details, or other sensitive data, which they then use to commit medical identity theft and bill Medicare for services and equipment you never receive.
Red Flags
- Any unsolicited call, text, or email from someone claiming to be from Medicare. Medicare will only call if you have called them first and requested a callback.
- Threats that your Medicare benefits will be suspended or canceled if you do not provide personal information immediately.
- Someone asking for your Medicare number, Social Security number, or bank account information over the phone.
- Offers of "free" medical equipment, genetic tests, or other services without a doctor's order.
- Claims that you are being issued a new plastic, metal, or chip-embedded Medicare card. Official Medicare cards are made of paper.
- High-pressure sales tactics urging you to join a new Medicare plan to avoid losing coverage, especially during the Open Enrollment period.
- Offers of cash, gift cards, or other rewards in exchange for your Medicare number or for signing up for a service.
What to Do If Targeted
- Hang up the phone immediately on any unsolicited caller who claims to be from Medicare and asks for personal information. Do not engage with them.
- Never give your Medicare number, Social Security number, or banking information to anyone who contacts you unexpectedly.
- Carefully review your Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) or Explanation of Benefits (EOB). Check for any services, prescriptions, or equipment that you did not receive and report any suspicious charges immediately.
- If you believe you shared your information with a scammer, call Medicare directly at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to report the potential compromise of your number.
- If you also shared your Social Security number, visit identitytheft.gov to report the identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission and get a recovery plan.
- Place a free fraud alert on your credit reports by contacting one of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion).
How to Report It
- FTC — File a fraud report with the Federal Trade Commission to help law enforcement track and stop scammers.
- HHS Office of Inspector General — Report suspected Medicare fraud directly to the Department of Health and Human Services' fraud hotline at 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
- Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) — Contact your local Senior Medicare Patrol for help detecting, preventing, and reporting health care fraud.
- FCC — File a complaint about phone scams, robocalls, or unwanted calls with the Federal Communications Commission.
- AARP Fraud Helpline — Call 877-908-3360 for free support from trained fraud specialists. Available to anyone, not just AARP members.
- FBI IC3 — Report internet crime to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center.
Key Statistics
- Medicare loses an estimated $60 billion each year to fraud, waste, and abuse. — National Council on Aging / AARP
- In Fiscal Year 2024, the improper payment rate for traditional Medicare was 7.66%, which amounts to $31.70 billion in fraudulent or improper payments. — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 2024
- Scams targeting people 60 and older caused over $3.4 billion in losses in 2023, an 11% increase from the previous year. — FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) 2023 Elder Fraud Report
- In 2023, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice returned over $974 million to the Medicare Trust Funds recovered from fraud and abuse cases. — HHS/DOJ Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program Report FY 2023
Get scam alerts before they hit your parents' inbox
One email per week. The scam that's spreading right now, the red flags, and what to tell Mom and Dad.
Free forever. Unsubscribe in one click.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Medicare will never contact you unexpectedly by phone to ask for your personal information or to sell you anything. A Medicare representative will only call you if you have already called them and left a message or a representative has told you to expect a callback.
Scammers use your Medicare number to commit medical identity theft. They bill Medicare for expensive services and equipment you never received, such as back braces or genetic tests. This fraud costs taxpayers billions and can disrupt your own coverage when you legitimately need it.
No, this is a common scam. Official Medicare cards are paper, and Medicare is not issuing new plastic or chip cards. You never have to pay for a replacement Medicare card, and anyone claiming otherwise is a criminal.
The best way to check for fraud is to carefully review your Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) or, if you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, your Explanation of Benefits (EOB). Compare the list of services and supplies with your own records. If you see a charge for something you did not receive, report it immediately.
Has this scam reached your family?
Ready to protect yourself?
We've vetted the tools that actually work — VPN, threat protection, and identity monitoring.
See our recommended tools →Get weekly scam alerts
One breakdown per week. Real threats. Zero fluff.
You're in! Check your inbox.