Sometimes I Feel Like a Piece of Bologna

Phone scam targets Medicare

On May 6 I reported a Medicare phone scam targeting Kansas. It looks as if it’s continuing. The Arkansas City (KS) Police Department recently received information from the local Chamber of Commerce about a telephone scam that involves people on Medicare. At least one area person has been targeted so far.

The caller, posing as a drug company representative, offers to help with, not only Medicare, but medication as well. The caller asked personal financial questions, including the name of the targeted victim's bank, checking account number and routing number.

I don’t think we can remind our parents too often about not giving out any personal information on the telephone. The world is so different from the one they grew up in. They still seem to assume that anyone who calls them has their best interests at heart, almost as if they can still talk to the local operator and say, “Mabel, get me Eva.” We need to keep reminding them that it ain’t necessarily so.

Labels: aging parents, Medicare, scams