Phone Scam Targets Area Medicare Recipients

MADISON - If you receive a phone call claiming that you need a replacement Medicare card, hang up! It is a scam according to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture.

The agency's Trade and Consumer Protection reports receiving a complaint on behalf of a senior who received a phone call from a group calling itself "Preferred Benefits to Seniors." The caller managed to get the woman's bank account number, but she was fortunately able to close her bank account before any money was stolen.

It's just one of many complaints lodged on scam-tracking websites about receiving similar calls from this group. Consumers note that the caller often tells seniors that they need replacement Medicare cards, then asks to "verify" the senior's personal information and asks for the senior's bank account number. The caller also typically provides a toll-free number for any future inquiries, but the number is simply linked to an answering service and no additional information on the group is made available.

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture reminds seniors that representatives with the Medicare program will never call you to verify personal information. They urge anyone who gets such a call to hang up immediately.