GREENFIELD, Wis. — An early warning for seniors, as open enrollment for health insurance is right around the corner.
The warning comes after a Greenfield couple reported their alleged scam to the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
"I know there's a lot of senior citizens out there. Sometimes, they're not aware of what's going on, and I'd like to make it public so that everybody knows about it, so that if they get that call, they won't accept it," Tony Lupo said.
Lupo said he and his wife received a call from someone claiming to work for Medicare.
"So I said, 'Oh, and why are you calling?' and he said, 'Well, I don't think you're getting the full benefits that you should be receiving.' And I said, 'Oh, well, what are they?' He said, 'Well, do you have your Medicare card?' and I said, 'Yes,' and I swore at him in Italian and hung up," Lupo explained.
"You knew it wasn't real," TMJ4 Reporter Jenna Rae asked.
"Oh yeah. As soon as he said 'Medicare,' they don't call," Lupo responded.
Lupo is right. After receiving the fake call for the second time last week, he contacted the BBB.
"Their goal is getting your information, so they'll say anything," Lisa Schiller with the BBB said.
"We have to remember we're not far from Medicare open enrollment, which starts in October, so we're just about eight weeks away from that. I wouldn't be surprised if we see these impostor calls ramp up a little bit," she added.
Schiller said companies like Medicare, Social Security, or even your bank will never call you unless you call and schedule an appointment with them first. She said that even if your caller ID says 'Medicare,' it's best not to answer.
"We're here to say, unfortunately, you have to question everything. Even if your caller ID says 'Medicare' because, as we know, caller ID can very easily be spoofed," Schiller explained.
Schiller said it's best to let the call go to voicemail or call the number on the back of your Medicare card to speak to someone.
"It is concerning because I hate to see, especially seniors. Sometimes it takes a year or two years to straighten it out, and that isn't right; that could kill 'em. It's a lot of stress on those people, and that's why I'm doing this," Lupo said.
If you have a scam to report, you can do it through the BBB here.
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