Medicare scammers phone homes

Medicare recipients need to be on the alert for a new telephone scam designed to get their personal financial information.

About 20 North Carolinians have complained to the N.C. Attorney General's office in recent weeks of getting calls that claim to come from Medicare, asking for personal financial information such as their checking account number.

The calls show up on caller ID as coming from 1-866-234-2255, which is a legitimate Medicare office telephone number. When consumers call the number back, they now get a message that says that scammers have spoofed the number and that consumers should report the call to their state attorney general or federal authorities, according to a press release from the Attorney General's office. 


Spoofing is when scammers make it appear that their calls or e-mails come from a legitimate telephone number or email account.


If you fell for the scam, the AG's office says to act quickly to minimize damage.


“Contact your bank and credit card company immediately if you’ve shared your account numbers with someone who may be a scammer,” Atorney General Roy Cooper said in a statemet. “There are also simple steps you can take to help minimize your risk and protect your identity, such as putting a free security freeze on your credit reports.”