Who: Your state insurance department handles health insurance and agent complaints.
When to use: Use when you were sold a fake health plan or someone misused your info.
What to prepare:
- Who contacted you
- What they asked for
- Amount if paid
Category: Financial & banking
Health & Medicare insurance scams
How it often plays out
Someone calls offering "free" Medicare coverage review or a "limited-time" health plan. They ask for your Medicare number, Social Security number, or bank details to "enroll" or "verify" you. Later you find unauthorized charges, fake plans, or identity theft. Legitimate Medicare and marketplace representatives do not cold-call and ask for your Medicare number or payment over the phone. Scammers use enrollment periods and confusion about health insurance to steal personal information and money. Never give your Medicare number or financial details to an unsolicited caller.
How to spot it
- Unsolicited calls or visits offering "free" Medicare reviews or health plan enrollment.
- Requests for your Medicare number, SSN, or bank details to "enroll" or "verify."
- Plans that are not on Healthcare.gov or that are not from a licensed insurer.
- Pressure to act "before open enrollment ends" or to get a "special" deal.
Do's and don'ts
Do
- Verify any plan with Healthcare.gov (marketplace) or Medicare.gov before enrolling.
- Contact Medicare or your state SHIP if you have questions; they do not cold-call.
- Save the caller's number and any materials; report to your state insurance department, FTC, and HHS OIG if Medicare was used.
Don't
- Give your Medicare number, SSN, or bank details to an unsolicited caller.
- Enroll in a health plan through someone who contacted you first.
- Pay for "enrollment" or "coverage" that you did not sign up for through official channels.
Summary & what to do
Scammers offer fake health plans, "Medicare" enrollment, or coverage reviews to steal your Medicare number, identity, or payments. Real Medicare and marketplace help is free; never give personal or financial details to an unsolicited caller. Report to your state insurance department, FTC, and HHS OIG.
What to do right now
- Do not give your Medicare number, SSN, or payment info to an unsolicited caller.
- Verify any plan at Medicare.gov or Healthcare.gov and contact your state insurance department.
- Report to your state insurance commissioner, FTC, and HHS OIG if someone misused Medicare or sold a fake plan.
Where to report
Who: HHS OIG investigates Medicare and Medicaid fraud.
When to use: Use when someone misused your Medicare/Medicaid number or posed as Medicare.
What to prepare:
- What happened
- Dates
- Any ID or numbers shared
HHS OIG – Report fraud~10 min
Who: The FTC collects reports of health and insurance-related fraud.
When to use: Use to report the scam.
What to prepare:
- What happened
- Amount lost if any
FTC ReportFraud~5 min
Build your knowledge: Recommended reading — books & free websites on financial literacy and fraud awareness