Latest scams
Each week we read new scam warnings from trusted sources and pick the ones worth knowing about. Here they are, in plain words.
Advisors: feel free to share these with your clients.
Last checked:
Fake health plan ads during open enrollment
What it looks like
Some ads and calls sell limited plans or discount cards as if they were full coverage, and some callers pretend to be the government or a big insurer.
What to do
Change plans only through Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE or HealthCare.gov.
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Callers offering a "new Medicare card."
What it looks like
Callers pose as Medicare officials or brokers to get your Medicare number, Social Security number or bank details.
What to do
Hang up, and never give your Medicare number to someone who called you first.
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Fake product recall messages
What it looks like
A text or email about a recall asks you to sign in for a refund, then takes your details.
What to do
Go to the store's site yourself instead of clicking the link.
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Fake "relief check" phone calls
What it looks like
A caller says you qualify for a government or disaster 'relief check.' To send it, they ask for your bank details, Social Security number or a processing fee.
What to do
Stop. Hang up. Real government relief never charges a fee, and you don't qualify through a surprise call. To check, call the agency at a number from its own website.
Then contact Senior-Secure™. Call us at (207) 400-2472.
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Fake bank fraud calls that tell you to move your money
What it looks like
Someone calls or texts saying they're from your bank's fraud team. They say your account has been hacked and your money is at risk. Then they tell you to move it to a new 'safe' account. That account belongs to the scammer.
What to do
Stop. Hang up. Your bank will never ask you to move money to keep it safe. Call the number on the back of your card.
Then contact Senior-Secure™. Call us at (207) 400-2472.
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Election-season money schemes
What it looks like
Calls, texts or posts use a candidate's name to ask for donations to fake campaigns or PACs, sell campaign merchandise that never ships, promise a payout on a campaign 'investment,' or say you aren't registered to vote.
What to do
Campaign donations are never an investment. Give only through a campaign's own website you look up yourself, and check your voter registration at vote.gov.
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Debt relief offers that pose as banks or the government
What it looks like
An offer promises to cut your debt by 75% or more, claims to come from a bank or the government, and asks for fees before any work is done.
What to do
Don't pay a debt relief fee up front. Companies that sell debt relief by phone can't legally charge you before they settle your debt. If a caller says they're your bank or a government office, hang up and call the number on your statement or the agency's own website.
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Fake charity sweepstakes prize
What it looks like
A call or message uses a real or look-alike charity name, says you won a prize because you donated, and asks for a fee or your Social Security number.
What to do
Real prizes are free. Do not pay a fee or share your Social Security number to claim one.
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Fake FTC caller says your phone number will be shut off
What it looks like
A caller says they are from the FTC, claims a phone in your name is tied to crimes, passes you to a fake police officer, asks you to keep it secret, and asks for a "security deposit."
What to do
Hang up. The FTC never threatens to shut off your phone or asks you to send money. To check, use contact details from ftc.gov, not a number the caller gives you or tells you to search for.
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Something feel off? Stop. Hang up. Do nothing, and contact Senior-Secure™. We'll help you check it.
Senior-Secure™ isn't affiliated with or endorsed by the organizations listed here. Each summary is in our own words, with a link to the original.
Seen something like this? Tell us. You can also call us at (207) 400-2472.