We wrote here several months ago about scammers trying to get seniors Medicare information by taking advantage of fears related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the time, we focused on an alert from Medicare that talked about robocalls offering respiratory masks, testing kits, cures, protective equipment and even immunity pills, as well as bogus charities asking for help during the pandemic.
That was back in May. Here it is September, and little has changed. In fact, if anything has changed, it is that there are even more scams happening, and they are especially, as always, impacting our senior population.
Here are some of the newer scams that have been added to the mix.
- Bogus contact tracing: Contact tracing is a method used to find people who have come in contact with others who have tested positive for COVID-19. This is done through interviews. Legitimate contact tracers will not ask for any payment or personal information (Social Security numbers, credit or debit card numbers or banking data).
- Phony government calls: Taking advantage of possible confusion regarding stimulus funds, Social security payments and unemployment benefits, callers claim to be from the IRS, Social Security, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) or an unemployment agency. As we have said here many times in the past, no government agency will contact you this way unless you are already dealing with them on a specific issue.
- Assistance with errands: If you are staying isolated for health reasons during this time, be vigilant about strangers who want to help you with errands such as grocery shopping or picking up needed prescriptions. Instead, seek the help of family members or reputable agencies if you need this kind of support.
It is always unfortunate that scammers will try to take advantage of our senior population. It is even more so when it is occurring during this time of pandemic when seniors are more vulnerable than ever. It is imperative to remain vigilant. Keep your vital information to yourself and those who you trust.