mermaid

I received this from a friend. New MEDICARE SCAM

"This is pretty important to get to people with Medicare, their
families and friends or adult kids who help parents with Medicare.
Have just gotten word about the newest Medicare scam from an
organization I educate for, Texas Senior Medicare Patrol, a division
within the Better Business Bureau.
Here's what you need to know to protect yourself, family and friends
throughout the US.

Starting 4/1/18 Medicare will start a year long project to replace all
current Medicare cards for beneficiaries to convert to alphanumeric ID
numbers. Currently the ID number is your social security number. This
is starting to hit the media. Scammers are opportunistic. First of all
the new Medicare card will come to you in the mail. You don't need to
request it or do anything. It will show up.

WHAT'S THE SCAM?
Somebody from "MEDICARE " will call to tell you you are getting a new
Medicare card. But until it comes, you will need a temporary card. Fee
for the card is between $5-50 dollars. They want personal information,
bank account or credit card so they can process your "temporary card".

THINGS TO REMEMBER
Medicare will never call you unless you ask them to. Medicare does all
communications by mail unless you ask them to call. Ditto for anybody
saying they "work with Medicare to make sure you get everything you
are entitled to".

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THIS ONE?
First of all spread the word. Feel free to share these notes.
Use your answering machine to screen calls or just don't even answer a
number you don't recognize. If it has happened to you or your friends
or loved ones and personal info had been given out (happens
considerably more often than you think, so don't feel bad or stupid)
immediately take action to protect yourself against identity theft."

I, and friends are getting 3-4 calls a day, mostly from our local area code (it's fake) aboutsaying our medicare records disclose we are having leg and back pain. Also, telling us medicare does not cover funeral expenses and trying to sell us burial insurance. My best friend was away for 3 days, returned to find 15 messages on her phone. How can we stop these people? The caller ID even shows names of people we know, yet it is not from them! So disgusting.