Medicare scam…need reassurance.

[Calm]

So someone called me from first a spam identified number and then called back using the 800-Medicare # after I said I wasn’t going to give him my id number.  Supposedly Medicare is sending out all new cards and for some reason he needed my old number.  He keeps calling me back after I refused to give him my number, saying if he was from the government he can tell me.

I looked online and it appears to be a scam…but someone reassure me that no new cards are being issued and even if they were, they wouldn’t be asking for my card number on the phone.  I have never had a scammer so persistent and so confident.  It chips away at my certainty.

Edited August 1, 2024 by Calm

[Calm]

My daughter just came in and confirmed what I thought, so I am feeling better.  But that guy is going to find someone today who buys his line, I bet.  And I feel a bit sick that I helped him by reminding him to use his spoofed number right off the bat.

Is there anything one can do besides keep them busy on the phone?  I just don’t have the personality to be able to stomach that.

Edited August 1, 2024 by Calm

[Stargazer]

You should check out @MorningStar's YouTube channel. She jerks phone scammers around for a living, among other more fun things. One of her videos posted in January 2024 is a 12 minute long tour-de-force of her messing with a medicare card scammer's head. It's low-key fun. 

I had an interesting scammer call several months ago, here in England, when some guy calls on our house phone (that almost never happens). He says that he's with the police and there are charges about to be filed, and I'll go to jail, unless I pay a fine. I asked him what the charges were, and after he gave out some bogus crimes I was accused of I told him he was full of it and I didn't believe him. He paused for a moment, and then said "F'ing Yank!" and hung up. At least in this case it was a guy with a pure British accent and not the usual Indian accent.

[Stargazer]

11 minutes ago, Calm said:

My daughter just came in and confirmed what I thought, so I am feeling better.  But that guy is going to find someone today who buys his line, I bet.  And I feel a bit sick that I helped him by reminding him to use his spoofed number right off the bat.

Is there anything one can do besides keep them busy on the phone?  I just don’t have the personality to be able to stomach that.

Don't worry about it. They know all the tricks, and you didn't really help him.  Just tell them to go to the bad place (very sweetly, of course), and hang up. No further interaction is needed. If the government has a new card for you, they will just send it to you. They don't call.

I have tried blocking the numbers of such calls, but their spoofing programs are too good. They almost never call back on the same number.

[Calm]

1 hour ago, Stargazer said:

You should check out @MorningStar's YouTube channel. She jerks phone scammers around for a living, among other more fun things. One of her videos posted in January 2024 is a 12 minute long tour-de-force of her messing with a medicare card scammer's head. It's low-key fun. 

I had an interesting scammer call several months ago, here in England, when some guy calls on our house phone (that almost never happens). He says that he's with the police and there are charges about to be filed, and I'll go to jail, unless I pay a fine. I asked him what the charges were, and after he gave out some bogus crimes I was accused of I told him he was full of it and I didn't believe him. He paused for a moment, and then said "F'ing Yank!" and hung up. At least in this case it was a guy with a pure British accent and not the usual Indian accent.

I have watched some…I appreciate her efforts on the behalf of people like me, who even if we avoid the scam, it can ruin our day.

[Pyreaux]

There was once a scammer claiming to be a police officer, sounded like a police officer, had a lot of personal information saying my dad had a warrant for his arrest, if he pays such-and-such they won't come arrest him. The clue was they wanted to be paid with... Google Play Cards. Nope, called the Sheriff's Office, no warrant.

There is no international lottery, but they send a "real" check to cover fees you'll need to send them.

 

[MorningStar]

5 hours ago, Calm said:

So someone called me from first a spam identified number and then called back using the 800-Medicare # after I said I wasn’t going to give him my id number.  Supposedly Medicare is sending out all new cards and for some reason he needed my old number.  He keeps calling me back after I refused to give him my number, saying if he was from the government he can tell me.

I looked online and it appears to be a scam…but someone reassure me that no new cards are being issued and even if they were, they wouldn’t be asking for my card number on the phone.  I have never had a scammer so persistent and so confident.  It chips away at my certainty.

That's an extremely common scam. Jerks! They can spoof numbers and make it look like the police are calling or anyone. If you have any questions, you can call the number on your Medicare or Medicaid and ask them yourself, but I can assure you, they are not sending out new cards. Stupid scammers have been telling me that for like 9 years. 

[Tacenda]

6 hours ago, Calm said:

My daughter just came in and confirmed what I thought, so I am feeling better.  But that guy is going to find someone today who buys his line, I bet.  And I feel a bit sick that I helped him by reminding him to use his spoofed number right off the bat.

Is there anything one can do besides keep them busy on the phone?  I just don’t have the personality to be able to stomach that.

Notify the news stations in Utah? They might be interested enough to share about it, so more people won't be scammed. Funny story about contacting the news....when the movie, "Santa Clause", came out with Tim Allen there was a part in it where the character said, call 1-800-Spank Me. Well eventually they took that part out, because I believe it was an actual porn site number. If remembering right. Either my children called it or someones, my memory is foggy. So I called the local news station to see if they could warn others, lol. 

Edited August 2, 2024 by Tacenda

[Calm]

The info is online.  It appears it is not a new scam.  I doubt they would be interested.

[Tacenda]

11 hours ago, Calm said:

The info is online.  It appears it is not a new scam.  I doubt they would be interested.

One of many to add to the list! 😡

[SeekerB]

When I get one of those fake Medicare calls, I tell them that I am only 12. Usually, they hang up immediately

[3DOP]

On 8/1/2024 at 2:43 PM, Calm said:

So someone called me from first a spam identified number and then called back using the 800-Medicare # after I said I wasn’t going to give him my id number.  Supposedly Medicare is sending out all new cards and for some reason he needed my old number.  He keeps calling me back after I refused to give him my number, saying if he was from the government he can tell me.

I looked online and it appears to be a scam…but someone reassure me that no new cards are being issued and even if they were, they wouldn’t be asking for my card number on the phone.  I have never had a scammer so persistent and so confident.  It chips away at my certainty.

It doesn't seem like the real U.S. government would ever take the effort to hire someone to call us individually. They are not in the business of coaxing us into saving our money that otherwise they could keep. I know we in America hate taxes. We once fought a war for independence over taxes that were arguably okay and piddling in any case. What citizenry likes taxes? European Unionists maybe? It would be nice, in a way, if government health plan people were constantly checking to make sure we stupid oldies understand what is happening and are okay. But who wants to pay for that service? Certainly not the young bunch. Nor even us oldies. Some of us aren't even convinced we are stupidly vulnerable!  If we want a loving and benevolent government employee to call us to make sure we are happy and okay, it seems like there would be a high price that would be noticed.  Until that happens, call me cynical, but I have these fears that neither the caller, nor his/her employer loves me. I have paid no attention to a phone number that I do not recognize for these recent years when we have had the ability to have caller identification. So far, I have noticed no repercussions.  

[3DOP]

On 8/1/2024 at 2:58 PM, Calm said:

My daughter just came in and confirmed what I thought, so I am feeling better.  But that guy is going to find someone today who buys his line, I bet.  And I feel a bit sick that I helped him by reminding him to use his spoofed number right off the bat.

Is there anything one can do besides keep them busy on the phone?  I just don’t have the personality to be able to stomach that.

Calm...You are good and sweet. God love you, whatever you believe. 

I doubt there is anything to do except to try to spread a culture of love and goodness that comes from Jesus. For now, God permits scammers and cancer and worse. Maybe not keep them "busy", but in the love that we have, try to communicate that to them. Not to give them up. The rest of creation is less restless. Bears and snakes and bugs and plants are different. They do not worry about trying to help their neighbour, like you have shown. What a privilege it is to weigh every moment of our lives in the love of God, and the love we have towards those who are potentially the sons and daughters of God.  Every person we encounter is like us, unsatisfied except with what is eternal and beyond. I am not listening to them, but scam phone callers included. The mercy of God includes everyone with a human nature like Jesus.  

[Calm]

1 hour ago, 3DOP said:

have paid no attention to a phone number that I do not recognize for these recent years when we have had the ability to have caller identification.

Unfortunately we get a lot of calls from medical people using their own phones or otherwise unknown to contact us, so I have to answer.

I think what is so disturbing to me is I haven’t encountered that many truly malicious people in my life—at least that I have been aware of—and it’s a shock to realize I am talking to someone who wants to harm me. Maybe not directly, but they still know stealing hurts the victim. And they don’t care or care enough. 

I should start lecturing them on bettering themselves by getting an honest job even if they are desperate, lol. 

Edited August 3, 2024 by Calm