Medicare says scammers are targeting Americans amid open enrollment period
If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from Medicare, be wary. Officials say it could be a scam.
Scripps News
The personal information of more than 100,000 Medicare recipients may have been compromised in a recent “data incident,” the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said June 30. As a result, some beneficiaries will be receiving new identification numbers.
In the Monday announcement, CMS said approximately 103,000 people may have been impacted by the unauthorized use of their data, including mailing addresses, last names, dates of birth, zip codes, plan premium details and information about services received, such as dates of treatment, treatments, diagnosis codes and the identity of medical providers.
CMS became aware of suspicious activity linked to Medicare.gov accounts on May 2, 2025, according to the notice, when the Medicare call center began receiving calls from beneficiaries about letters confirming the creation of accounts they did not make.
Unspecified “malicious actors” were responsible for creating the accounts between 2023 and 2025, said CMS. The suspicious accounts have since been deactivated and the agency has disabled the ability to make new accounts from foreign IP addresses.
Beneficiaries potentially impacted will soon receive a letter detailing the incident, along with a new Medicare ID number and card. CMS says it is not aware of any identity theft occurring as a result of the breach.
What to do if you are concerned about your Medicare account
CMS has advised Medicare recipients to keep a close eye on their account activity. They are also advised to:
- Review Medicare Summary Notices and Explanation of Benefits for any unfamiliar charges or services.
- Report any suspicious activity to 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or the Office of Inspector General at oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud/.
- Obtain free annual credit reports through www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling 1-877-322-8228.
- File reports with local law enforcement and/or the Federal Trade Commission by calling 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338) or online at www.ftc.gov/idtheft if any identity theft concerns arise.
- Contact 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) with further questions or concerns.
