About two months ago, there was a voicemail that was left for me. On this voicemail was a call telling me to call right away about a personal matter. I could barely understand the voice on other end of the phone, but because insurance companies call me often about personal matters for clients, it wasn’t unusual for me to receive this type of voicemail.
Calling back was another story because it was a scammer attempting to tell me that I owed over $6,000 to the IRS. They also told me that there was a warrant for my arrest.
Researching the number told me that indeed many others were getting these same type of calls. What troubled me more than anything is how they tried over and over again to threaten me. They told me to watch my back, told me that an officer would be at my door to put me in handcuffs if I didn’t do what they said, and even asked for my personal banking information.
I knew from the accent and just the absurdity of the call that it was a scammer.
The sad thing is that some people may fall for this.
The most vulnerable is our senior population. To know that someone would take advantage of an older woman or man is enough to turn my stomach.
Late last Friday afternoon, I was with a potential Medicare client and the phone rang. On the phone was one of these types of calls. She was alone at home and told me that they call her on a regular basis. It was obvious that the call was upsetting and it truly broke my heart to know that someone would purposely attempt to take advantage of an older woman.
Her son did come and she told him what happened. He asked what he could do about it so I told him to report it just like I did to the Federal Trade Commission. You can do so by calling 1-800-366-4484.
This has been on my mind ever since last Friday. One of the reasons that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) is working to change Medicare numbers for everyone is to prevent Medicare fraud. Medicare used to use social security numbers which caused scamming Medicare beneficiaries. They are now using random numbers and letters making it more difficult for scammers to take advantage of our senior population.
Because Balanced Care is all about providing information and education, we are sharing this video below. This man pretends to be an older woman who is about to be scammed. She is getting told she owes money to the IRS. You will hear exactly what the scammer says and does in order to get his way. Please share this with your parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts, and any other person who is special in your life. The video does make you laugh although what the scammer is doing is no laughing matter. Towards the end of the video is some profane language so beware.
Our older generation, your family and friends all deserve to be protected from anyone who even thinks to do them harm.
Terri Trepanier is the owner of Balanced Care Health and Supplemental Insurance and a licensed insurance consultant and broker with Associated Brokers. Licensed in both Maine and NH, her specialty is working with small businesses, individuals, and families with their health and life insurance needs. She is certified to offer health plans both on and off the exchange and is contracted with every health insurance company that offers plans in both New Hampshire and Maine. Her other passion is assisting Medicare beneficiaries with their Medicare Supplemental, Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans, and Medicare Advantage plans. Terri has seen firsthand the importance of insurance products and how they help families. Her goal with Balanced Care is to “Insure Security and Peace of Mind One Family at a Time”.