How Do I Spot a Medicare Scam and Protect My Number?
If someone calls, texts, or shows up offering “free” braces, test kits, or a new Medicare card — and just needs your Medicare number to process it — you're talking to a scammer. Medicare Fee-for-Service made an estimated $28.83 billion in improper payments in fiscal year 2025 — 6.55% of payments — though CMS is careful to note that improper payments are not the same as fraud. What is certain is that much of the fraud that does occur starts with a stolen Medicare number. Here's how to recognize the scams, guard your number, and report fraud the moment you spot it.
Quick answer
The single rule that stops most Medicare scams: Medicare will never call you out of the blue to sell you anything, offer free equipment, or ask for your Medicare number or bank information. So treat any unexpected call, text, or visit offering free braces, test kits, or a “new” card as a scam. Guard your Medicare number like a credit card, and report suspected fraud to 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or your Senior Medicare Patrol at 1-877-808-2468.
The one rule that stops most Medicare scams
Medicare will never call you uninvited to sell you something, offer free equipment, or ask for your Medicare number or bank details. Medicare (or someone representing it) only calls in limited situations — such as a plan returning your call after you reached out. So if the contact came to you first, assume it's a scam and hang up. That one habit closes the door on the vast majority of Medicare fraud.
What do Medicare scams look like?
They almost always dangle something free and then ask for your Medicare number to “qualify” or “process” it. The offer is the bait; your number is the prize. Watch for these:
- “Free” medical equipment. Back braces, knee braces, wheelchairs, or “no-cost” supplies — in exchange for your Medicare number. The scammer bills Medicare for gear you never needed, or never receive.
- Free genetic or COVID test kits. A caller offers a free cheek-swab or test “covered by Medicare,” then uses your number to bill for expensive tests.
- A “new” Medicare card. There is no fee for a Medicare card, and Medicare won't call to “verify” your number to send one. Anyone charging you or demanding your number for a new card is lying.
- Fake plan “agents” during open enrollment. Scams spike every fall. High-pressure callers push you to switch plans on the spot or hand over personal details — real agents don't rush you or ask for your bank login.
- Threats that your benefits will be “cancelled.” A caller claiming to be from Medicare or Social Security says your coverage will be suspended unless you confirm your number now. Medicare doesn't operate by threat.
How do I protect my Medicare number?
Your Medicare Beneficiary Identifier — the number on your red-white-and-blue card — is as valuable to a thief as a credit card number. Guard it the same way.
- Share it only with people you trust — your doctors, pharmacist, and the insurers you've chosen. Never with someone who contacted you first.
- Don't say it aloud to unexpected callers, and never enter it into a website you reached from a link in a text or email.
- Treat the card like cash. Carry it only when you'll need it, and don't post photos of it online.
- Be skeptical of “free” anything that requires your number. If it were truly free and legitimate, they wouldn't need to pry.
Read your Medicare Summary Notice — it's how you catch fraud
Every few months Medicare sends a statement of what was billed in your name (your Medicare Summary Notice, or the Explanation of Benefits from a Medicare Advantage or drug plan). Skim it for services or equipment you never received, the same visit billed twice, or a provider you don't recognize. Catching a bogus charge here is often the first sign your number has been stolen.
What should I do if I gave out my Medicare number — or spot fraud?
Don't be embarrassed — these scams fool careful people every day, and acting quickly is what limits the damage. Take these steps:
- Report it to Medicare. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) with the details — who contacted you, when, and what they asked for.
- Call your Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP). This free, government-funded program helps you review charges and report fraud — reach the national line at 1-877-808-2468.
- Watch your statements. Review your next Medicare Summary Notices closely for charges you don't recognize.
- If you shared bank or card details too, contact your bank right away to flag the account, and consider a credit freeze.
- Report the scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov so it can be tracked and stopped.
The same instincts protect against other cons aimed at older adults. See our guide to internet safety for seniors and, if you're watching out for a parent, how to protect aging parents from scams.
You may be interested in…
Get organized, stay safe
You can't spot a fake bill without knowing the real ones
Medicare fraud works because most people can't say which plan they're on, which providers billed them last year, or what a genuine Summary of Benefits looks like. The End of Life Planner has fill-in sections for your plan, your card, your providers, and the numbers to call — so a suspicious letter has something to be checked against.
See the End of Life Planner →Good to know
Common questions
Someone called saying my Medicare card is expiring and I need a new one. Is that real?
No — that’s one of the most common Medicare scam scripts there is. The FTC warns that scammers impersonate Medicare and say you need a new or updated card, then ask for your Medicare, bank or credit card number. Real Medicare cards are free and mailed to you automatically, and real Medicare representatives won’t call, text or email out of the blue to ask for your numbers or a payment. Hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) yourself if you want to check.
The caller ID said Medicare. Doesn’t that mean it was really them?
No. The FTC says caller ID can be faked, so it may show Medicare’s name or number even when the call is a scam. Never give information based on what the screen says. Hang up and dial 1-800-MEDICARE yourself — a real representative won’t mind, and a scammer can’t follow you to that number.
Someone offered me a free brace, test kit or genetic test if I gave them my Medicare number. What’s the harm?
That’s medical identity theft in progress, and Medicare lists exactly this as fraud. Once someone has your number they can bill Medicare in your name for equipment and services you never received, and those claims become part of your Medicare claim record. Medicare’s own guidance is blunt: don’t accept offers of money or gifts for free medical care, and don’t give your Medicare number to anyone who contacted you first.
I already gave a stranger my Medicare number. What do I do right now?
Report it today, and don’t waste energy on embarrassment. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), then contact your Senior Medicare Patrol at 1-877-808-2468 for free local help, and report the scam to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Then compare every Medicare Summary Notice or plan Explanation of Benefits against your own calendar for services you never got. If you also gave out bank or card details, call your bank the same day.
What happens if I just ignore it and never report it?
The billing usually doesn’t stop on its own — your number keeps working for whoever has it. Medicare is explicit that a person who steals your Medicare number can keep submitting fraudulent claims in your name, and the way most people find out is a charge on a statement for a visit or item they never received. Reporting it is free and takes one phone call; leaving it alone leaves your number in circulation indefinitely.
Someone came to my door offering to sign me up for hospice care. Is that a scam?
Yes — Medicare lists this specific pitch as an example of Medicare fraud. Anyone who shows up at your house or calls offering to enroll you in hospice in exchange for your Medicare number is not doing you a favor. Don’t sign anything, don’t give your number, and report the contact to 1-800-MEDICARE.
Will Medicare ever call me for real?
Only in a few narrow situations, and never out of the blue. Medicare says it will only call and ask for personal information in limited cases — like an agent or plan representative returning your call after you joined a plan, reported fraud, or left a message. If you didn’t start the conversation, treat the call as a scam.
A caller threatened to cancel my benefits. Where do I report that?
Report a government impersonator to the HHS Office of Inspector General Hotline at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477), and to Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE. HHS-OIG has an open consumer alert about fraudsters impersonating HHS and OIG officials by phone, email and social media to pull money or personal, medical and financial details out of people. No real agency threatens to cancel your health benefits to hurry you off the phone.
Verified from
Sources
- Medicare.gov — Reporting Medicare fraud & abuse
- Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) — National Resource Center
- FTC Consumer Advice — How To Avoid Imposter Scams
- CMS — Fiscal Year 2025 Improper Payments Fact Sheet
- GAO — Medicare: Actions Needed to Better Manage Fraud Risks (GAO-18-660T)
- FTC Consumer Advice — Protect yourself from Medicare Open Enrollment scams
- Medicare.gov — Your Medicare Card
- HHS Office of Inspector General — Consumer Alerts
Start getting retirement in order — one simple checklist at a time
Free quick-start checklists to help you organize the practical parts of retirement: what to gather, what to decide, and what to write down first.
- What to gather
- What to update
- What to share with family
Almost there — check your inbox.
We just sent a confirmation email. Click the link inside and your free download lands right after. (If you don't see it, check spam or promotions.)