Arkansas AG: "Don't Get Reeled-in by Medicare Phishing Scheme"

Dec 14, 2007 -- LITTLE ROCK – More than 400,000 Arkansans are enrolled in Medicare, and recently, the Arkansas Attorney General's Office has received numerous complaints about a phishing scheme targeting these beneficiaries. While this scam is not new, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel issued this consumer alert today to warn consumers about its recurrence.

Phishing is an attempt to deceptively acquire sensitive information for the purposes of committing fraud, and often times, con artists use trusted names to try and fool consumers into turning over information. In this particular scheme, scam artists call Medicare beneficiaries, purporting to be representatives from the Social Security Administration or from a non-existent company named "Unique Medical Services." The scammer then tells the beneficiary that he or she is eligible to receive a new Medicare Card but she must turn over information, including her Social Security Number, date of birth and bank account number, in order to receive it. In some cases, the scammer claimed that he needed the banking information in order to process various fees associated with delivering the card.

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"Government entities that have actual business with consumers rarely ask for sensitive information through an unsolicited phone call," said McDaniel, "and if you pick up the phone and somebody asks you for it, your best bet is to simply hang up."

To avoid falling victim to this scheme, consumers should remember the following:

- Do not provide personal information to anybody you do not know or trust;
- Do not provide personal information in response to an unsolicited phone call or email;
- Call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE to verify that you are eligible for a new card; and
- If you have caller ID, write down the caller's number and call the Public Protection Department of the Attorney General's Office at 1-800-482-8982 to report the incident.

Source: Arkansas Attorney General