People warned of scam calls about Medicare

The Montana Senior Medicare Patrol is warning people that calls are circulating targeting older Montanans with the callers claiming to represent Medicare.

“Medicare will never call people on Medicare to ask for or check their Medicare number,” Renee Labrie-Shanks, statewide Senior Medicare Patrol program director at Missoula Aging Services, said in a press release. “As with any unsolicited call, do not give personal information over the phone, whether it’s your Medicare number, Social Security number, bank account information, or your full birthday. Scammers are looking for missing pieces of information to steal your identity.”

The release said Missoula Aging Services received information about an active scam targeting older adults in Montana. In the report, several individuals received multiple calls last week from someone claiming to be from Medicare.

The release said Medicare recipients to be aware that Medicare does not need to verify their information to get them more benefits.

“If somebody calls you to tell you that, they’re lying,” the release said. “It’s another Medicare scam.”

The release said the reports relate that the callers ask the Medicare recipient to verify their zip code, type of policy held, the color of their Medicare card and other personal information. In one report, the caller said to the Medicare recipient, “What can I do to convince you that I’m calling from Medicare?”

“To protect yourself from scammers, do not answer your phone if you don’t recognize the number,” Labrie-Shanks said in the release. “If it’s important, they will leave a voicemail. Also, always read your Medicare Summary Notices or Medicare Advantage EOB’s, especially if you’ve been receiving calls like these. It may indicate you’ve already been targeted.”

People who think they have been a victim of Medicare fraud should call Montana Senior Medicare Patrol at 1-800-551-3191 or visit the websitehttps://www.smpresource.org for more information.