Medicare Scams: A Widow’s Story and How to Protect Your Benefits (FTC Video Guide)

Medicare imposters call older adults claiming they need a Social Security number or bank details to send a new card or keep benefits active. In this FTC video, a retired educator explains how repeated calls wore her down after her husband died. Her story shows why persistence, not ignorance, is what makes these scams work. Our guide covers the warning signs and how to protect your benefits.

From the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) · Part of our Online Safety Video Library

What the video shows

A retired educator describes losing her husband and then getting a call from someone who said they were from Medicare. The caller asked for her Social Security number and bank account information for new Medicare cards and warned that her benefits could stop.

She hung up, but more callers followed with the same pitch until she gave in to make the calls stop. She urges viewers to be skeptical of anyone claiming to be a government agency. An FTC attorney explains that complaints like hers helped the FTC go to court and shut the company down.

Key takeaways

• Medicare will not call you out of the blue to ask for your Social Security number, Medicare number, or bank details.
• New Medicare cards are free; there is never a fee or “verification” call needed to get one.
• Scammers often target people who are grieving or living alone.
• Repeated calls and transfers to “supervisors” are a pressure tactic, not a sign the call is real.
• Your complaint matters: reports help law enforcement find and stop these operations.

How to protect your Medicare information

1. Treat your Medicare card like a credit card: share the number only with your doctors, pharmacy, and plans you chose.
2. Hang up on any unexpected caller who says they are from Medicare and asks for personal or bank information.
3. If you have a question about your benefits, call 1-800-MEDICARE or the number on your Medicare card yourself.
4. Review your Medicare Summary Notices or online account for services you did not receive.
5. Report suspected Medicare fraud to Medicare and to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

If you help an older parent

Grief, illness, and living alone can make anyone more vulnerable to persistent callers. Agree on a simple rule: any call about Medicare, Social Security, or benefits gets a callback to you before anything is shared. Turning on spam call filtering also reduces how many of these calls get through; see Stop Scam Calls on a Parent’s Phone.

Common questions

I already gave my Medicare number to a caller. What now?

Call 1-800-MEDICARE to report it, watch your Medicare statements closely for services you did not receive, and report it to the FTC. If you also shared your Social Security or bank details, see IdentityTheft.gov for next steps.

Can someone from Medicare come to my home?

Medicare does not send representatives door to door to sell products or collect information. Ask for identification and call Medicare yourself to check.

Are Medicare plan sales calls scams?

Not always, but plans must follow rules about how they contact you. Never share your information with an unexpected caller; contact plans or Medicare directly instead.

Related guides

• Hang Up on Social Security Scam Calls (Video Guide)
• Stop Scam Calls on a Parent’s Phone
• Impersonation Scams: How to Spot Them
• Report and Recover From Identity Theft (Video Guide)

About this video

This video was produced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), a U.S. government agency, and plays from the agency’s own channel. Juggling Chaos wrote this summary and guide; we are not affiliated with or endorsed by the agency. Some details on screen, such as phone models or web addresses, may look dated, but the advice still applies. Checked October 7, 2026.

Medicare’s fraud guidance is at Medicare.gov: Reporting fraud and abuse.