NEW: AG Kilmartin Warns of New Healthcare Scams
Monday, July 16, 2012
Scammers are using the recent upholding of the Affordable Care Act to try to get personal information from targets, according to AG Peter Kilmartin.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has received numerous complaints from across the country from people who have received phone calls from individuals claiming to be from the federal government who need to “verify information” under the Affordable Care Act, including social security numbers, Medicare ID and other personal information.
DO NOT give out any personal information
AG Kilmartin reminds consumers not to give out personal or financial information in response to unsolicited phone calls, emails or knocks on your door. Scam artists want your information to commit identity theft, charge your existing credit cards, debit your checking account, open new credit card, checking, or savings accounts, write fraudulent checks or take out loans in your name.
“Scam artists can’t pass up an opportunity to defraud and steal from hard working Americans,” said Attorney General Kilmartin. “If someone who claims to be from the government calls and asks for your personal information, hang up. It's a scam. The government and legitimate organizations you do business with already have the information they need and will not ask you for it.”
If you have received one of these unsolicited phone calls or requests, file a complaint at ftc.gov or call 1-877-FTC-HELP. If you believe you are a victim of consumer fraud, please contact the Consumer Protection Unit of the Office of the Rhode Island Attorney General at (401) 274-4400. You can download a consumer complaint by visiting the AG's website at www.riag.ri.gov and email at contactus.riag.ri.gov.
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Comments:
william ross
8:05am on Tuesday, July 17, 2012
I felt obligated to post because my mom got a fake Medicare call and this man told her she was getting a new card, but she needed to verify her information first. She was confused so she she gave the phone to me and I talked to the caller. Obviously, he was a scammer. He kept muttering and never answered my questions. He insisted he was just hired by Medicare to call people and inform them about the new ID card.
I hung up and reported the man to http://www.callercenter.com. Guess what I found out? Several people already reported the caller to the site. Apparently, he's called a lot of people, trying to scam them.