Medicare Scam Alert!

NEWS ALERT

The Sunapee Police Department has been made aware of several recent Medicare scam calls to Sunapee residents.

Medicare.gov advises that you take the following precautions:

• Never give your Medicare card, Medicare number, Social Security card, or Social Security number to anyone except your doctor or people you know should have it (like insurers acting on your behalf or people who work with Medicare, like your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). Get the contact information for your local SHIP.
• Do NOT accept offers of money or gifts for free medical care.
• Don't allow anyone, except your doctor or other Medicare providers, to review your medical records or recommend services.
• Never join a Medicare health or drug plan over the phone unless YOU called Medicare.
• If someone asks for your information, for money, or threatens to cancel your health benefits if you don't share your personal details, hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or visit Medicare.gov.

Be vigilant. Scammers can be very convincing, and they may know a little - or a lot - about you, especially if they have access to some of your personal information already. Follow these simple tips to avoid spoofing scams:

• Don't answer calls from unknown numbers.
• If you answer and the caller isn't who you expected, hang up immediately.
• Never give out personal information such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, mother's maiden names, passwords or any other self-identifying response to an unexpected call.
• Use caution if you are being pressured for information immediately.
• If a caller claims to represent a health insurance provider or a government agency, simply hang up. You can then call back using a phone number on an account statement, in the phone book, or on an official website to verify the caller's authenticity.