Your Situation
I Think I Got Scammed — What Now?
First: you're not alone, and it's not your fault. Medicare scams are designed by professionals to fool careful people. The sooner you act, the easier it is to limit the damage. Start with whichever situation fits you below.
If You Gave Out Your Medicare Number
Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)
Tell them your number may have been stolen. They'll note your record, and if your number is being misused, Medicare can issue you a new one.
Watch your Medicare statements
Check your Medicare Summary Notices or your account at Medicare.gov for services, equipment, or tests you never received. Report anything you don't recognize.
Refuse unexpected deliveries
If a brace, test kit, or medical supply shows up that you didn't order from your doctor, don't accept it. Report the company.
If you also gave a Social Security or bank number
Call your bank right away, and report identity theft at IdentityTheft.gov for a step-by-step recovery plan.
If You Were Switched Into a Plan You Didn't Choose
Sometimes a caller or salesperson enrolls someone in a new Medicare Advantage plan without clear permission, or by making promises that weren't true. Signs include a new plan ID card you didn't expect, a letter welcoming you to a plan, or a letter from your old plan saying your coverage is ending.
Call 1-800-MEDICARE as soon as possible
Explain that you didn't agree to the enrollment, or that you were misled. Medicare can often cancel the unwanted enrollment and put you back in your old plan.
Call the new plan, too
Tell them you didn't consent to the enrollment and ask them to note it. Keep a record of who you spoke with and when.
Had a Medicare Supplement?
If a switch to Medicare Advantage ended your Supplement, getting it back can be hard. Call us — depending on what happened, you may have a right to get coverage back without health questions.
Report the agent
You can file a complaint about an insurance agent with the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI).
If You Paid Money to a Scammer
Medicare never asks you to pay with gift cards, wire transfers, or payment apps. If you did, contact your bank or the card company right away — some payments can be stopped or reversed if you act quickly. Report the scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your local police. A police report can help with your bank and with identity theft claims.
Where to Get Help in Wisconsin
Wisconsin Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP)
Helps people spot, report, and recover from Medicare fraud. Reach them through the Wisconsin Board on Aging and Long Term Care.
Your county's ADRC
Elder benefit specialists at your Aging and Disability Resource Center can help sort out what happened to your coverage.
Office of Inspector General
Report Medicare fraud at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477) or oig.hhs.gov. You can report without giving your name.
Watch for a second scam. People who've been scammed often get calls offering to "recover" their money for a fee. That's another scam. Real help from Medicare, the SMP, or your ADRC never charges you.
Common Medicare Scams
How to spot the next one →
Helping a Parent?
Forms to help them with Medicare →
Still have questions? Talk with Marit.
Licensed Wisconsin agent in downtown Appleton. No cost to talk, no pressure to enroll.
Or send us a message →