Medicare scams usually aim for one thing: your Medicare Number. With it, criminals can bill for services or equipment you never received, or use the call as a doorway into broader identity theft.
Does this affect you?
Use this for Medicare-related calls, texts, mail, email, or door-to-door contact in the United States, especially messages about new cards, plan problems, free tests, or medical equipment.
Check what you were told against how Medicare works
A few rules expose most fake Medicare contact.
- Medicare does not call, text, or email asking you to verify, activate, or reissue your Medicare card or Medicare Number. You request replacement cards yourself through Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.
- Medicare does not cold-call offering free genetic tests, back braces, knee braces, or medical equipment. Legitimate equipment should come through your doctor or care provider.
- During open enrollment, be wary of calls saying your plan will be canceled unless you confirm your Medicare Number immediately. That urgency is a scam tactic.
- Medicare does not ask you to pay by gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or a phone payment to keep coverage.
- If anything seems uncertain, hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE, which is 1-800-633-4227, or sign in at Medicare.gov by typing the address yourself.
What to do if you already gave out your Medicare Number
Move quickly so fraudulent claims can be flagged.
- Call 1-800-MEDICARE and explain that your Medicare Number may have been used in a scam.
- Review your Medicare Summary Notice and your Medicare.gov account for equipment, tests, supplies, or services you did not receive.
- Report suspected Medicare fraud to the HHS Office of Inspector General at oig.hhs.gov/fraud or through its hotline.
- If you also shared your Social Security number, bank details, or identity documents, file at identitytheft.gov and consider freezing your credit with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
- If you help a Medicare-enrolled family member, review suspicious calls together and check claims regularly.
More control
Only share the number when you initiate contact
Give your Medicare Number only when you called Medicare, your doctor, pharmacy, plan, or another trusted provider directly. Do not provide it to inbound callers.
Open enrollment increases pressure
Scam volume often rises between October 15 and December 7 because plan choices are already confusing. Treat urgent plan-loss threats as a reason to verify directly.
Sources
- Medicare.gov – Protect Yourself from Medicare Fraud (2025)
- HHS Office of Inspector General – Medicare Scams (2025)
- FTC Consumer Advice – Medicare Scams (2025)