Medicare scams targeting seniors rise significantly

[Ace-Garageguy]

A lot of us on the forum are older and are associated with Medicare one way or another...and some folks who aren't particularly tech-savvy or naturally suspicious are easy pickings.

Just a reminder from Linkedin:

Medicare scam calls have become alarmingly frequent, with seniors reporting calls as often as every 14 minutes. Complaints to Better Business Bureaus have surged by 40% over the past year, while the Federal Communications Commission receives thousands of annual complaints. Scammers typically pose as representatives offering unclaimed Medicare benefits. The broader financial toll of fraud on older adults is estimated to be around $60 billion annually, highlighting the urgent need for protective measures.

[Mark]

Even some of the commercials border on scams.  Not as bad as last year though, when a couple of them were touting the benefits like they were passing them out.  There must be a heap of money in all of it judging by the ferocity of the competition for your attention.

[1930fordpickup]

I was getting calls 2 to 3 times a day and I am not old enough to qualify. One last night around 7:30 and one this morning.

[1930fordpickup]

I need to start answering the phone lke my late father did. I 'M BROKE!.in a load voice they almost always hung up.

[bobss396]

10 hours ago, 1930fordpickup said:

I was getting calls 2 to 3 times a day and I am not old enough to qualify. One last night around 7:30 and one this morning.

I tell them that I am 33 and still working every day!

I used to work on my repertoire of swear words with them, insult their heritage and make nasty inferences about their sisters and barnyard animals.

Edited Tuesday at 01:10 PM by bobss396

[89AKurt]

It has started with me, but lots of texts, and post cards.  I'm bloody suspicious of everything unsolicited to begin with.  Thanks for posting this, confirmed my suspicion.

[Dave Van]

I get scammer calls 10 to 20 a day. Caller ID is always spoofed. If I have time I answer with my old lady voice and bad info. When 'Robert' answers aks for info I turn it on him. I all of he is an untouchable. Most times instant hang up. Other times they will reply with 'dod your mother's grave to you to ask'. It is out of hand and needs to be fixed 

[bobss396]

I have gotten a few calls this year so far. Now that open enrollment is supposedly over... maybe they gave up on me? I must be on someone's 💩 list by now.

[Fat Brian]

The telephone companies allow this because there is no skin in the game for them in it. One simple law to make companies responsible for scams perpetrated on their systems would eliminate these calls over night.

[Ace-Garageguy]

22 minutes ago, Fat Brian said:

The telephone companies allow this because there is no skin in the game for them in it. One simple law to make companies responsible for scams perpetrated on their systems would eliminate these calls over night.

C'mon, man. Accountability? What time-space continuum are you in, anyway?

[Mike C]

Well, you've seen my post about all those scam calls we've been getting, we get many of those Medicare calls too, but not anymore with the phone. It seems to be getting less calls today but they still keep coming. They will never get through ever again.

[Hi-Po]

Several years ago, the wife and I started letting all of our phone calls go directly to voice mail.  If it is an important call, you will leave a message.  We will only answer a call when we recognize the caller or are excepting a call from someone.  I have noticed over the last couple of years that the volume of unwanted or scam calls, has dropped off considerably, to almost non-existent .  I had read somewhere that by not answering and letting all the calls go to voicemail, that over time, the scam callers give up and list the phone number as not functional.   I don't know if this is true, but it seems to work for us.  It doesn't hurt to give it a try.

[Dave Van]

I see todays calls have switched to state 'final cost' insurance and to lower your auto rates calls.  Same folks.....so I still play with them if I feel like it

[Mike C]

1 hour ago, Hi-Po said:

Several years ago, the wife and I started letting all of our phone calls go directly to voice mail.  If it is an important call, you will leave a message.  We will only answer a call when we recognize the caller or are excepting a call from someone.  I have noticed over the last couple of years that the volume of unwanted or scam calls, has dropped off considerably, to almost non-existent .  I had read somewhere that by not answering and letting all the calls go to voicemail, that over time, the scam callers give up and list the phone number as not functional.   I don't know if this is true, but it seems to work for us.  It doesn't hurt to give it a try.

With my new phone all these callers will get screened by a roboscreen built into the phone. I hope that they will also give up. Today seems to be a slow day for the scam calls coming in.

[bobss396]

19 hours ago, Hi-Po said:

Several years ago, the wife and I started letting all of our phone calls go directly to voice mail.  If it is an important call, you will leave a message.  We will only answer a call when we recognize the caller or are excepting a call from someone.  I have noticed over the last couple of years that the volume of unwanted or scam calls, has dropped off considerably, to almost non-existent .  I had read somewhere that by not answering and letting all the calls go to voicemail, that over time, the scam callers give up and list the phone number as not functional.   I don't know if this is true, but it seems to work for us.  It doesn't hurt to give it a try.

I was talking about hang-up calls i get often on my land line with my alarm people.

She said they are fishing around to see what calls go through and which do not. Very few leave a message on that phone.