How To Identify Medicare Scams During Open Enrollment

Scammers know that Medicare’s open enrollment period (running from October 15th to December 7th this year) is the perfect time to target vulnerable Americans while they review and update their health insurance. Medicare scammers use fake emails, phishing phone calls, and dangerous websites — often built and powered by AI — to trick victims into giving up their health data. 

According to security researchers, protected health data such as your Medicare number, is worth 4x more than your bank account credentials on the dark web.

Unlike credit card numbers or bank details, medical records and details can’t be canceled or updated. Once stolen, your Medicare number can be used to obtain prescription medications, file bogus claims, or even steal your identity. 

Even worse, criminals may use your health insurance for themselves, adding incorrect information to your health records and potentially causing you physical harm. 

How Do Medicare Scams Work? 

Fraudsters contact you claiming to be from Medicare or a legitimate healthcare insurance provider. They’ll often use phone calls and texts paired with “spoofing” technology to make it appear as though they’re contacting you from an official phone number. 

While Medicare scams often target older adults, anyone — from young caregivers to older beneficiaries — can be targeted.

The strategies scammers use to get your health information can vary, but almost all follow a pattern: 

• Unsolicited outreach: You receive a call, text, email, or letter from someone claiming to be a Medicare or health insurance representative. 
• Building trust: They may use your personal information (obtained in a data leak) or other means to make you believe they’re legitimate.
• Pressure to act: They’ll create a sense of urgency — for example, by claiming that you’ll lose coverage — in order to get you to “confirm” your information, pay for a plan, or click on a malicious link.

The bottom line: Will Medicare ever contact you? Yes. While it’s rare, according to the official Medicare website, a Medicare representative, “will only call and ask for personal information in limited situations (like an agent or representative returning your call after you've joined a plan, reported fraud, or left a message for Medicare).” 

The Newest Medicare Scams To Look Out For in 2026

Complaints of Medicare scam calls to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) are up 40% year-over-year. With more chances to fall victim, it’s important to know how scammers are targeting victims. 

Here are the newest and most common Medicare scams to look out for this year.

Medicare imposter calls

Medicare scam calls use a variety of tactics, but almost always start out the same. Someone calls you claiming to be from Medicare or your health insurance provider and asks you to confirm information or update your details to maintain your coverage — including your Medicare number, date of birth, full name, and address. 

A New York Times report found that Medicare scammers are calling seniors upwards of 50 times a day.  

The caller may claim that your Medicare card is no longer valid or that some other issue is preventing you from keeping your insurance. To lower your guard, they’ll say things such as that they’re “not asking for your Social Security card or bank account numbers.” If you refuse, they’ll threaten to cancel your coverage.

What to do: If someone claims to be from a health insurance provider or government agency, hang up and call them back using an official phone number on an account statement or website.

Fake Medicare websites in search ads

During open enrollment, many people may search for health insurance providers online. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is warning that scammers are creating websites with URLs that look similar to official government ones. 

These sites use the same logos, copy, and keywords as Healthcare.gov and Medicare.gov, but promote scammy plans or harvest data for identity theft.

What to do: The FTC suggests typing the name of the website you wish to visit directly into the search engine or call an official phone number. For example:

• Medicare: Visit Medicare.gov or call 1-800–633-4227
• To compare health insurance plans or check your coverage: Visit HealthCare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596

Texts claiming that your insurance will lapse

Medicare scammers often use text messages to target thousands of victims at once. One common scheme is to send a text message claiming that your insurance benefits are going to lapse due to outdated information or a change in your plan. 

Texts will include a number to call to “fix” the situation. In reality, you’re calling a scammer who will pressure you into giving up information or making payments.

What to do: Ignore these texts. If there’s an issue with your Medicare, you’ll receive a letter in the mail. If you’re worried about coverage, contact your health insurance provider directly. 

Fake overdue invoices for health benefits

Scammers may also contact you to claim that your health insurance has an overdue payment and is at risk of being canceled if you don’t pay now. This is a classic phishing scam where they create urgency to pay over the fear of losing benefits.

In another variation of this scam, fraudsters claim that you’re owed money due to overpayment. But the only way to receive it is to provide your banking details and other sensitive information.

What to do: Directly verify any overdue or owed payments with the billing department at your health insurance provider. 

“Special offers” of lowered premiums or special benefits

Many Medicare scammers use telemarketing tactics to try and get you to enroll in “better” health plans. During these scam calls, a sales representative will claim that you’re pre-approved for a Medicare Advantage plan that has better benefits than a basic one.

In one example, the FTC fined Simple Health Plans LLC $195 million for tricking customers into signing up for health care plans that offered little coverage, even though they were advertised as comprehensive health insurance. 

What to do: Verify the level of coverage you’re getting by checking the insurer’s policy documents. If you need help, you can search for official assisters and agents/brokers on HealthCare.gov/find-assistance.

Letters claiming you can save money by switching providers

Scammers targeting older Americans may send letters claiming that your Medicare account will be revoked if you don’t act quickly or that you can save money by switching to a different insurer. These letters look official, but are designed to trick you into calling a scammer.

Medicare only sends limited mail, including a Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) every three months, enrollment or plan change notices during open enrollment, and requests for updated information if you’re registered in Medicare Advantage or Part D plan.

What to do: Don’t respond to letters with urgent or threatening language. If in doubt, contact Medicare directly to ask about the letter by visiting Medicare.gov or calling 1-800-633-4227.

How To Avoid Medicare Scams

Avoiding Medicare scams is similar to protecting yourself against most other forms of phishing — don’t give out personal information, ignore threats, and trust your gut. However, during open enrollment it can be especially hard to discern a real message or call from a fake one. 

Here are some rules to follow to protect yourself against Medicare scam calls, emails, and texts:

• Know how and when Medicare will contact you. Medicare won’t call you out-of-the-blue asking for personal information or threatening to revoke your account. When in doubt, hang up and contact Medicare directly through official channels. 
• Don’t respond to threatening or urgent messages. Medicare and health insurers won’t threaten you or use aggressive language to get you to act. If someone is pressuring you to pay, provide info, or visit a website, it’s almost certainly a scam. 
• Never give out personal information to someone who contacted you. Medicare should only contact you if you’ve requested that they do so. If someone contacts you and asks for sensitive information, don’t provide it. 
• Take your time when researching health insurance options. Scammers can manipulate search results and create fake websites. Look for a small “Ad” or “Sponsored” label next to search results, as these are promoted pages and not necessarily the official Medicare website.
• Get help from official sources. You can get support via chat or phone on the official Medicare website at Medicare.gov/talk-to-someone. 
• Use scam call blocking tools. Aura’s all-in-one online protection app can help block scam calls and texts, warn you if you’re visiting a fake website, and provides 24/7 U.S.-based support. Try Aura free for 14 days. 

What To Do If You Gave a Scammer Your Medicare Number

If you accidentally gave up sensitive information, like your Medicare or Social Security number (SSN), your primary goals are to report the fraud and protect your sensitive accounts. 

Here’s what yo do: 

• Visit Medicare.gov’s Reporting Medicare Fraud and Abuse page for the correct contact information of the department you’ll need to reach regarding your situation.
• Contact the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov to file an official identity theft report. This is essential for disputing fraudulent charges that scammers could make in your name.
• Freeze your credit report to ensure that scammers can’t take out loans or open new accounts in your name.
• Contact your bank to inform them of the potential fraud. They’ll cancel your accounts and get you set up with new ones.

As a final security measure, consider signing up for identity theft protection. Aura constantly monitors your SSN and other sensitive information for signs of fraud. You’ll receive an alert about any suspicious activity and get 24/7 help from our team of fraud resolution specialists.

The Bottom Line: Don’t Give Out Your Medicare Number

When it comes to Medicare scams, remember this one fact, first and foremost: Medicare doesn’t call you; you call them.

While law enforcement continues to do its best to crack down on Medicare scams, the best way to protect yourself is to be proactive. Be smart, and hang up on scammers. And for added protection, consider signing up for Aura.