Medicare Scams Are on the Rise: What California Seniors Need to Know

By Eugene Bruno on May 18, 2025

As healthcare fraud continues to rise, Medicare scams are becoming a growing threat, especially for seniors in California. These scams aren’t just annoying robocalls or phishing emails. They can result in identity theft, fraudulent billing, and even the loss of access to necessary healthcare services. 

If you or a loved one is 65 or older—or assisting someone who is—this blog will walk you through how these scams work, what red flags to look for, and most importantly, how to protect yourself.

What Are Medicare Scams?

Medicare scams are schemes where fraudsters try to steal your Medicare number or personal information to bill Medicare for services you never received. Others may try to sell you fake policies, pressure you into giving up sensitive information, or pretend to be a government official to create urgency and fear.

Scammers often:

• Impersonate Medicare agents or “officials”
• Offer free medical supplies or services as bait
• Claim you need to verify or renew your Medicare card
• Threaten to cancel your benefits if you don’t act immediately

Common Types of Medicare Scams

“Free” Medical Equipment Scams

You receive a call or mailer offering free back braces, knee braces, or other durable medical equipment. All the scammer needs is your Medicare number to ship the item and charge Medicare—sometimes for thousands of dollars. You may never receive the item, or it may be unnecessary and of low quality.

New Medicare Card Scams

Someone contacts you claiming Medicare is issuing new cards and that you need to provide your Medicare number to receive yours. This is false—Medicare will never call or email asking for this information.

Fake Insurance Plan Offers

During open enrollment or other key times of the year, scammers will call with too-good-to-be-true supplemental plans and offers. They pressure you to act fast, and once they have your information, they disappear—or worse, commit fraud in your name.

Threats of Canceled Coverage

In this aggressive variation, the scammer pretends to be from Medicare and warns that your coverage will be terminated unless you confirm personal details right away. This is designed to scare seniors into giving up valuable data.

Medicare will never:

• Call you unsolicited to ask for your Medicare number or bank information
• Threaten to cancel your benefits
• Offer free items or services in exchange for your information
• Send a representative to your home without an appointment

If any of these things happen, it’s almost certainly a scam.

How to Protect Yourself

Never Share Your Medicare or Social Security Number

Treat it like your credit card. Only give it to trusted healthcare providers you’ve contacted directly.

Hang Up and Verify

If someone says they’re from Medicare or a related agency, hang up. Call 1-800-MEDICARE to verify any legitimate contact.

Don’t Be Pressured

Scammers want to rush you. Take your time, ask questions, and don’t provide information over the phone unless you initiate the call.

Check Your Medicare Summary Notices

Review your Medicare statements regularly to make sure you recognize all charges. If you see services you didn’t receive, report it immediately.

Report Suspicious Activity

Call the Senior Medicare Patrol at 1-855-613-7080 or visit www.cahealthadvocates.org to report fraud. You can also report to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

Why Seniors Are Targeted

Seniors often have reliable Medicare coverage and are more likely to be home during the day to answer calls. Many were raised in an era where answering the phone and trusting authority figures was second nature, making them prime targets for modern, sophisticated scams.

If you or a family member falls into this category, know that being targeted doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong. But awareness is your first and best line of defense.

When Legal Help Is Needed

Sometimes, these scams go beyond nuisance and cross into serious harm:

• Unauthorized billing of your Medicare account
• Fraudulent identity use
• Loss of coverage due to misinformation
• Emotional stress from being harassed or misled

If you’ve been a victim of a Medicare scam, contact a San Diego personal injury attorney at Eugene Bruno & Associates at 1-888-BRUNO-88 (1-888-278-6688) for legal help.