Medicare will never call you uninvited and ask for personal or private information, and it will never call to sell you anything (Medicare.gov, Your Medicare Card and Reporting Medicare fraud and abuse, checked October 14, 2026).
How Medicare scams work, and why your number is the prize
Many Medicare scams never ask you to pay anything. They want your Medicare number. Once a dishonest supplier or lab has it, it can bill Medicare for genetic tests, braces or supplies you never needed or never received (Senior Medicare Patrol Resource Center, Durable Medical Equipment Fraud, checked October 14, 2026).
The scale is large. In its 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown, the Justice Department described one alleged scheme that submitted $10.6 billion in fraudulent claims to Medicare for urinary catheters and other durable medical equipment (DME) using the stolen identities of over one million Americans (U.S. Department of Justice, June 30, 2025). In the 2026 Takedown it announced charges against 455 defendants in schemes involving over $6.5 billion in alleged false claims (U.S. Department of Justice, June 23, 2026).
The damage to you is real even when you pay nothing at the door. False claims can leave false diagnoses in your medical records, and if Medicare thinks a limited service was already provided, it may deny payment when you actually need it (Senior Medicare Patrol Resource Center, Consequences to Beneficiaries, checked October 14, 2026).
What the caller says: the common scripts
The new card or chip card call
"Medicare is switching to a plastic card with a chip. I just need to verify your Medicare number." The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) lists every version of this as a scam signal: a new plastic card, a chip card, a new card because it is a new year, a black and white card, or a call to confirm your number (Senior Medicare Patrol Resource Center, Medicare Card Scams, checked October 14, 2026). One honest exception: SMP notes that in March and April 2026 some people received new Medicare cards with new numbers, mailed with a letter explaining why (Senior Medicare Patrol Resource Center, Medicare Card Scams, checked October 14, 2026). A real replacement arrives by mail, not by a call asking you to read your number aloud.
The free brace or equipment call
"Your doctor approved a free knee brace and back brace. Medicare covers it at no cost to you." SMP says to report it if a supplier asks for your Medicare number in an unsolicited phone call, if you get equipment you never requested, or if you accepted "free" equipment and later see that Medicare was billed (Senior Medicare Patrol Resource Center, Durable Medical Equipment Fraud, checked October 14, 2026).
The genetic test or COVID test call
"Medicare now pays for a free cancer and dementia DNA screen. We will mail you a cheek swab." SMP warns about "free" genetic tests ordered through phone telemedicine by a doctor who has never treated you, often billed at thousands of dollars per test (Senior Medicare Patrol Resource Center, Genetic Testing Fraud, checked October 14, 2026). The same pattern shows up with offers of free COVID-19 tests or supplies and calls about a "COVID-19 Medicare card" (Senior Medicare Patrol Resource Center, COVID-19 Fraud, checked October 14, 2026). The Justice Department charged 49 defendants in 2025 over more than $1.17 billion in alleged telemedicine and genetic testing fraud (U.S. Department of Justice, June 30, 2025).
Open enrollment: what plan sellers may and may not do
Open Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7, with changes taking effect January 1 (Medicare.gov, Joining a plan, checked October 14, 2026). Real plans and agents call during this season too, which gives cover to impostors. Medicare's marketing rules draw clear lines. People representing Medicare plans are not allowed to (Medicare.gov, Marketing rules for health plans, checked October 14, 2026):
- Call you unless you are already a member of the plan or you gave them permission to contact you.
- Come to your home uninvited to sell anything.
- Ask for bank account or credit card numbers over the phone unless needed to process an enrollment request. Plans do not need your personal information to give a quote.
- Ask you for payment over the phone or online. The plan must send you a bill.
- Offer cash, or gifts worth more than $15, to join.
- Sell you a non-health product, such as an annuity or life insurance, during a Medicare plan sales pitch.
- Pressure you with lines like "you have to join this plan or you won't have coverage next year."
Medicare.gov also says not to join a Medicare health or drug plan over the phone unless you called and asked for help (Medicare.gov, Reporting Medicare fraud and abuse, checked October 14, 2026). If you think you chose a plan because of misleading information, call 1-800-MEDICARE and explain what happened (Medicare.gov, Marketing rules for health plans, checked October 14, 2026). For neutral help comparing plans, your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) is free; our Medicare enrollment guide covers timing.
How to check your own Medicare claims
Your Medicare statements are your best fraud detector. If you have Original Medicare you get Medicare Summary Notices (MSNs); Medicare Advantage and drug plans send an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) (Senior Medicare Patrol Resource Center, Read Your Medicare Statements, checked October 14, 2026). Look for services, equipment or tests you did not receive, double charges, or things your doctor did not order.
A secure Medicare.gov account lets you see Original Medicare claims as soon as they are processed (Medicare.gov, Reporting Medicare fraud and abuse, checked October 14, 2026), and SMP notes it shows bills processed within the past 36 months (Senior Medicare Patrol Resource Center, Read Your Medicare Statements, checked October 14, 2026). Compare each line with your calendar and receipts. If something looks wrong, call the provider or plan first, since it may be an error rather than fraud (Senior Medicare Patrol Resource Center, Report Fraud, checked October 14, 2026).
Medicare.gov's own rules for your number are short: give it only to your doctors, your insurers or plans and their licensed agents, or people you trust who work with Medicare, such as your SHIP (Medicare.gov, Your Medicare Card, checked October 14, 2026).
What to do right now if you gave your Medicare number or paid
- Stop contact. Hang up, refuse any package you did not order, and do not sign for it.
- Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). Medicare says to call this number if you think someone is using your Medicare number (Medicare.gov, Your Medicare Card, checked October 14, 2026). If you are in a Medicare Advantage or drug plan, you can also call the Investigations Medicare Drug Integrity Contractor (I-MEDIC) at 1-877-772-3379 (Medicare.gov, Reporting Medicare fraud and abuse, checked October 14, 2026).
- Watch your statements. Check your MSN or EOB and your Medicare.gov account for the next several months for anything billed in your name.
- Protect your identity. If you also gave your Social Security number or bank details, report it at IdentityTheft.gov and see our Social Security scam steps for a credit freeze and account blocks.
- If you paid money, call your bank or card issuer right away and ask them to reverse the charge.
- Report it. File with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) at oig.hhs.gov or call 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477) (HHS Office of Inspector General, Report Fraud, Waste, and Abuse, checked October 14, 2026). Your local Senior Medicare Patrol can help you review statements and report; find it at smpresource.org or 1-877-808-2468 (Senior Medicare Patrol Resource Center, Dollars Lost to Fraud, checked October 14, 2026).
A plain example with numbers: what one stolen Medicare number can cost
The table shows dated, published figures from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). The first two rows are alleged amounts in criminal charges, not convictions.
| Measure | Figure | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Alleged DME claims in one scheme using stolen identities | $10.6 billion | U.S. Department of Justice, June 30, 2025 |
| Alleged telemedicine and genetic testing fraud, 49 defendants | $1.17 billion | U.S. Department of Justice, June 30, 2025 |
| Government impersonation complaints, age 60+, 2025 | 8,628 | FBI IC3, 2025 Internet Crime Report |
| Reported losses to government impersonators, age 60+, 2025 | $413,206,251 | FBI IC3, 2025 Internet Crime Report |
| Hypothetical: one unordered genetic test billed in your name | $8,000 | Hypothetical, for illustration |
The arithmetic on the first row: $10.6 billion spread across "over one million" stolen identities (U.S. Department of Justice, June 30, 2025) is at most about $10,600 per person, since $10,600,000,000 divided by 1,000,000 is $10,600. That is the scale of billing that can sit behind one number read aloud on the phone.
In the hypothetical last row, an $8,000 test you never ordered appears on your statement. Because the bill goes to Medicare rather than to you, it is easy to miss. Catching it and calling 1-800-MEDICARE stops the next claim and helps investigators find the supplier. The FBI figures (FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 Internet Crime Report, April 2026) show the direct cash losses older adults reported to people posing as government officials, which includes Medicare impersonators.
Red flags
- A caller says you need a new plastic, chip or black and white Medicare card and asks you to confirm your number.
- Someone offers a free brace, wheelchair or other equipment and says your doctor already approved it.
- A free DNA, cancer, dementia or heart genetic test is offered by phone, mail or at a health fair or parking lot.
- A telemedicine doctor you have never met wants to order tests or equipment for you.
- A plan representative calls you when you never gave permission or asked for a call.
- Someone asks for your bank or card number to give you a plan quote.
- A caller says you will lose your coverage unless you switch plans today.
- You are offered cash, a gift over $15, or a free meal to join a plan.
- A Medicare plan pitch turns into a pitch for an annuity or life insurance.
- Boxes of medical supplies you never ordered arrive at your door.
- Your Medicare Summary Notice or Explanation of Benefits lists tests, equipment or visits you do not recognize.
- A caller threatens to cancel your health benefits unless you share information or pay.
Questions to ask before you pay or share anything
- Did I call Medicare or this company first, or did they call me?
- Why do you need my Medicare number if my doctor has not ordered anything?
- What is the name of my own doctor who ordered this, and can I call that office to confirm?
- Can I hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE to check this card or this offer?
- If this is a plan agent, when did I give permission to be called?
- Will you send the plan details in writing so I can compare them with my SHIP counselor?
- Why would a free test need my Medicare number and a cheek swab by mail?
- Am I being asked to pay or give a card number over the phone?
- Is this sales call trying to sell me something that is not a health plan?
- Who can I check with first, my doctor, my SHIP or my local Senior Medicare Patrol?
Read This Before You Sign
A one-page checklist: the red flags in annuity and indexed universal life (IUL) sales, and the questions to ask before you sign anything. Helps you check any Medicare call, card notice or free offer before you share your Medicare number. We’ll email it to you.
The Retirement Literacy Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 41-5062266). General education, not tax, legal or investment advice. Nothing is sold here. Unsubscribe any time.
Sources
- Medicare.gov: Reporting Medicare fraud and abuse (checked October 14, 2026)
- Medicare.gov: Your Medicare Card (checked October 14, 2026)
- Medicare.gov: Marketing rules for health plans (checked October 14, 2026)
- Medicare.gov: Joining a plan (checked October 14, 2026)
- Senior Medicare Patrol Resource Center: Medicare Card Scams (checked October 14, 2026)
- Senior Medicare Patrol Resource Center: Genetic Testing Fraud (checked October 14, 2026)
- Senior Medicare Patrol Resource Center: Durable Medical Equipment Fraud (checked October 14, 2026)
- HHS Office of Inspector General: Report Fraud, Waste, and Abuse (checked October 14, 2026)
- U.S. Department of Justice: 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown (June 30, 2025)
- U.S. Department of Justice: 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown (June 23, 2026)
The Retirement Literacy Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity. This page is general education, not tax, legal or investment advice. Nothing is sold here, no product is recommended, and RLF accepts no funding from financial companies. Rules and figures change; each one above shows its source and date. Check anything you plan to act on with your state insurance department or a qualified professional who is not paid on the product.