Possible Medicare Scam...
 

Hi All,

My 83-year old Mom just got a phone call from a 409 area code wanting to confirm her name address and telephone number before sending her her Medicare card. I was in another room at the time when I heard her conversation. I asked for the phone and someone with a very thick accent spoke to me and wanted to verify her address and then wanted me to get her latest Social Security check to verify some more info. At that point I told him I didn't think he was from Medicare and hung up. My Mom was going to hang up before I got there anyway, which was good. Just wanted to let people know the scammers may be out there today.

Thanks for the info. Seems like they are preying on the elderly. Aweful

I had a scammer for something else. They wanted my SS number. I hung up, thanks for the info.

yep, I keep telling my hubby never to say the word YES on the telephone to anyone! we get 20 telemarketers calling every week. and yes we are on the Do Not Call List. now they are calling my cell phone. sigh. I don't trust anyone anymore. Sad but true.

If you don't recognize the area code or phone number, simply do not pick up the phone. If you have an answering machine, let it pick up. Sometimes to just stop the phone from ringing when I see an unrecognized phone number, I will hit the talk button and then immediately hit the end button.

We now have Medicare part D. DH was upset to be told that his diabetic testing strips would be $50, at our local CVS. Since these were previously without co pay from a different supplier, he called everyone concerned and eventually paid $8, better, but still wrong. Even major companies can scam you.

I agree with nivosum. Caller ID is worth every penny they charge. If we don't recognize the name or number, we don't answer. We have an answering machine and 99.9% of the time, they don't leave a message! I don't answer unknowns on my cell phone either. Being on the do not call list doesn't seem to help!!!

I read some where that if you get a call and no one answers it is obviously a pest call, so just hit the # key a few times and it will throw you out of the system. I have been doing that lately and it seems to work.

I answer no questions over the phone unless I am the one making the call.

Another scam, my DH got a phone call and left a message asking him to call due to some issue with his Debit Card. He called me and I told him if it wasn't the Bank and a local number then don't call back. Scammers are clever.

Probably was a scam.

I keep phone numbers of medicare and all we do business with. If I get a call I hang up and call the number I have and ask if I was called and why.Most have told me they will never call and ask for your SS#.

Exactly, too many people are scamming these days and it is better to 'field' the call and let them leave a message. You can always call them back.

I had someone call a while back offering prostate medication. I told them I had mine removed years ago.

I get the "no one there" calls all the time. What irritates me is I have to go thru, listen to silence and then delete the message. My phone keeps telling me I have "unanswered calls" if I don't clear out the cache! Takes a bunch of time.

Medicare would never call you. There are probably going to be a lot of scams out there as the new health care law kicks in!

Most of the time I do not answer the phone. We only have the land line because of the security system for the home and business, and the important people know to call the cell. But occasionally I answer and I drive them nuts. I ask questions that have nothing to do with what they want. I ask them to speak up then ask why they are yelling at me. I give answers that make no sense. I just basically jabber and start a whole story-telling-gossip session. If they last longer that a minute or so without hanging up, I start in on how there are aliens among us, that "big brother is after me" and how this phone call is be monitored from space. Pretty much don't get a call back. I get my laugh for the day.

oh my, my Son answered his door once and did the alien thing to whom ever it was. they left quickly!!! works in person too.

Thank you for a good laugh, and I will have to rememeber your method, sounds like a lot of fun. Most I ever had was when sales man would not take no for an answer from my husband. He handed me phone and I asked the idiot which part of no didn't he understand and to get lost.

Oh, my dad was a joker, too! The local hm-hm house (you know with the red light) had a phone # that was one digit different than my folk's number. So when someone would call and ask for a girl, he'd reply with various renditions of, "Well, she's busy right now, but if she has time, I'll have her call you back." Then he'd hang up and laugh like crazy. Or he might say to the room, " This guy is calling for >>>>>, has anyone seen her today?" What a jokester he was!

I do the same thing. My phone rings off the wall during the week. I check to see if it's anyone I know. Most of the time it's "private number", or just a bunch of numbers that don't make sense. I too hit the talk button and then hang up when I get tired of the ringing. Sometimes I answer, than lay the phone down and go do something else. haha One time I answered and they asked for Mr.( my husband). I told them he was at work and I just cleaned his house. haha They hung up on me!

So sad how people treat others! They always seem to know how to trick they elderly or helpless. Makes me SICK! The worst part is I've read how they are doing so much of these scams overseas and when it happens nothing can be done to help!
Country1

I recieved the same phone call and one from IRS. They are scams

We have an answer machine and our recording message is: You have reached the "our last name" , we do screen our calls so please leave a message and we'll call back. Most of the time they just hang up. If we recognize the # or who it is, we'll answer. Maybe we won't....LOL

We are also on the DO NOT CALL LIST, even supposed to have it on our cells, but we still get calls on land line and our cells. I get so tired of this mess!! Wishing for the good ole days when we didn't have so many people trying to make a quick buck from everyone, because they are too lazy to get a real job and do honest work.

last night I spent about 45 minutes filling out complaint forms on my callers. they just change numbers but maybe it will help. I surely hope so, i'm losing my patience. and I don't give my SS number to anybody anymore!! period. well the Government and an employer if I had one.

We have had to establish the policy of never, ever answering the door to strangers and never give any information to strangers on the phone unless you initiated the call. Even caller ID can be deceiving, with some people getting ID's that mimic popular charities. Especially make sure kids know this and when they are alone in the house know to keep the door locked and not answer to anyone without your consent.

We have been reading of several instances in recent years of home invasions. By getting you to open the door they have established that there either is no alarm or you disarmed it. One group operating not far from us had a couple of little women knock on a door and state they're having car trouble and ask to use your phone. Then two burly men jump from the bushes and burglarize the house. It's safer to let the person know you are there but not going to answer. I will yell something like, "Sorry can't answer the door!" They don't need an explanation. I can look out a window and observe who it is as they leave. If there's a window in or near the door, you can let them see you holding a phone to your ear. They can assume you have told someone about the stranger at the door.

One time I watched a man walk from my door on up the street and test the door handle on my neighbor's car as he went by. I called the police, and they were quite interested. They emphasized that they can't be everywhere at once and they appreciate extra eyes and ears taking note of any suspicious activity. They wanted a description and specifics about time and place. I don't know if they found him. We are in a quiet suburban neighborhood. Crimes can happen anywhere!

I wish I was as skilled with the gift of gab as Bneighbor! If I see unrecognized numbers calling I let the answering machine get it, or if I've had previous experience with them (Why on earth do some of these idiots keep calling the same obviously fruitless number and play a recording like: "Hi, this is Rachel at card services..."? This same one has been going on for years!) I just lift the receiver and drop it so they can't clutter up my answering machine with their garbage.

I believe Medicare part D is for prescription medications isn't it? Diabetic testing strips(and lancets) are medical supplies and are covered by Medicare. You need to call Medicare.

For QM, all your dh diabetic supplies should be covered by Medicare. Also 1 pair of shoes each year and also diabetic socks if the dr orders them. I used to work with the elderly and meals on wheels and they got all that because Medicare took care of it. Call Medicare about it.

I have a son overseas but he tries to let us know by email when he's going to call home or he will call, leave a message, then call back in 5 minutes. It's a different phone number everytime so we are not sure what to watch for. He knows how many calls we get during the week. Even Sundays are not safe anymore.

About acting strangely, my oldest brother can laugh like Woody Woodpecker and it really unnerves people! And he has also used that bit about being from Mars. He's a really big guy. One of his nicknames is BigFoot. He can really roll his eyes and laugh his weird laugh and people can't get away fast enough. In other words, he loves to answer the door or phone!

But for us, we let the answering machine get it if we don't recognize the number.

When we did have a land line, my youngest son answered a phone call with this: This is the morgue, you stab them, we slab them. It got 100% hang up of caller.

My dad used to say..".Frank's Mule Barn...Mule speaking"! haha

The latest call I have been getting is from "Microsoft" telling me I have problems with my computer and if I give them remote access to my computer they will fix the problem. I told them no way and rang Microsoft to let them know what was happening and they told me that they never contact any one, you have to ring them. I got another call from the scammers and told them I had contacted Microsoft and had my suspicions confirmed, since that no more phone calls.

We get a lot of calls saying that we have won a free security system. So I just tell them that we already have a security system (which we do). My husband thinks it's crooks calling to see whose house has a security system so they can break in.

Things like this really worries me. My 82 year old neighbor will keep talking and listening to these people because she doesn't want to be rude. I've had to get her out of several jams and I keep telling her to just hang up. I'm sure many elderly people have been taken to the cleaners like this.

There are going to be more and more of these scams as commercials are being run to entice Seniors/Medicare recipients/uninsured to call. They make it sound like it from the government but it isn't. I never never do anything over the phone. I always ask for a letter confirming what they tell me and then I will consider what they are "pushing". Hmmm, many letters never come. And if they tell me something is only good for this phone call or x hours or x days, I tell them too bad. It they keep on, I ask them "what part of NO do you not understand?" and hang up!!

Their mothers must be proud of them!