If you're enrolled in Medicare, expect a new card soon. They're supposed to guard against ID theft.
But, with 44 million cards going out in the mail, it's also a big opportunity for scammers.
The cards will have a unique ID. No longer will it be a Social Security number. That's great news since it's what ID thieves need.
The cards started to be mailed out in April, 2018. And it can take a year for all of them to be mailed.
In the meantime, scammers might try to call you.
Maybe they will say "hello, your new Medicare card is being mailed. To make sure it gets to you, please give me your Social Security number."
Or they could say "we're sending you a temporary Medicare card while your new card is being prepared. Want to pay the small fee by credit card?"
Pass this information around.
Medicare won't call unless they're returning your call.
So, if you get a call, don't give out any information, even if they say they are calling from Medicare.
Instead, if you think there's an issue, call the real number on the back of your Medicare card.
Click here for details on the Medicare card warning.
