A scammer got my mom: How you can avoid getting taken in by them

The scammer at work. Oftentimes they are working in groups and most are from overseas. Keep your personal information safe and don’t give it out to strangers posing as people who care about you. They care about your money and taking it from of you.

by Karin L. Nauber

karin@inhnews.com

“But he told me I wouldn’t get my Medicare card if I didn’t give him my card number.”

By now we know that scammers are crafty, malicious, and scheming. They will use whatever tactic they can to get you to give them your personal information and your money.

No matter how smart we are about the schemes and scams they try, many, if not all of us, me included, have been caught in a scam at some time or another.

My mom, Wilma Nauber, was a recent victim of a scam. Undoubtedly she is not alone because a huge, multi-page article in the April 2021 AARP Bulletin brought to light many scams including the top ones for 2021 (so far). This included the Medicare scam that my mom fell victim to.

The AARP article follows the “fraud vigilante” life of Jim Browning (not his real name) and how he breaks into the scammers’ lives and messes with them.

Browning says it clearly, “They will say whatever they need to say to get as much money out of you as possible.”

But why on earth would a scammer want my mom’s Medicare card number?

According to another AARP article, “They might try to entice you to pay a fee to switch from a paper to a plastic card, or one with a chip (card types Medicare does not offer). Another trick is to claim there’s been suspicious activity on your Medicare account, and you need to verify your identity to avoid losing your benefits.” . . .

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