The deadline to apply for Medicare is December 7 and scammers are out in full force.
The older population is a popular target for scams.
CNBC reports that last year, older adults lost $121 million to imposters posing as government employees.
During enrollment season, fraudsters try to con their targets by offering fake giveaways, medical supplies or inventing bogus charges to ship a “new” Medicare card.
Telecom security expert Chris Drake says people need to be vigilant, defensive and never give out personal information to callers.
“Medicare never phones you,” Drake said. “Social Security never phones you. The IRS never phones you. If you get this call, it’s a scam. And you just have to start understanding, sadly, that the world is full of people trying to prey on the unsuspecting.”
Drake encourages victims to report scams to their local police department’s non-emergency line or the Federal Trade Commission website.
You can learn more about Medicare HERE.
