BBB warns of increase in Medicare scams during open enrollment season

OMAHA, Neb. — Open enrollment for Affordable Care Act(ACA) and Medicare plans is almost here and scammers are ready. Jessie with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) joined NTV to talk about how these scams work and how you can identify them.

According to the BBB, they have seen an increase in scam reports involving calls and texts pretending to be from Medicare. In these scams, callers claim to be agents asking for personal information to "verify" or update Medicare details, often asking for Medicare ID or Social Security numbers. Scammers also use texts claiming health benefits are about to expire, urging victims to call and provide bank details for "verification." These fraudsters offer a “better plan” at a lower cost, but it's a ruse to steal personal data and commit identity theft. Always avoid sharing personal information with unknown callers or texters.

Tips to avoid open enrollment scams

Selecting a health insurance plan can be challenging and complex. Be on the lookout for common red flags.

• Guard your government-issued numbers. Never offer your Medicare ID number, Social Security number, health plan info, or banking information to anyone you don't know.
• Contact your employer directly. If you receive an unexpected email about benefits policies, ask your employer about it before you click on anything to make sure it's legitimate.
• Go directly to official websites. If you want to make changes to your healthcare plan, go directly to Medicare.gov, Healthcare.gov, or your employer's health insurance provider. Don't click on links in suspicious messages.
• Be wary of anyone who contacts you out of the blue. Healthcare and Medicare provide legitimate help for determining which plan is right for you. These people — sometimes called Navigators or Assisters — cannot charge for their support. If someone asks you for payment, it's a scam. You will also need to contact them on your own. They will not call you first.

For more details, you can watch the full video above.