 How the scam works:You receive a call from someone claiming to be from
the federal government. The caller informs you that you've been selected to
receive insurance cards through the new Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare").
However, before they can mail your card, the caller needs to collect personal
information.
Scammers do a lot to make their requests seem credible. For example, they may
have your bank's routing number and ask you to provide your account number. Or,
they may ask for your credit card or Social Security number, Medicare ID or
other personal information.
Sharing personal information with a scammer puts you at risk for identity
theft. Scammers can use the information they obtain to open credit cards in your
name or steal from your bank account.
How to spot a scam and protect yourself:
Con artists are taking advantage of the confusion and buzz surrounding the
implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Here's what you can do to protect
yourself:
don't press any
buttons and, if you received a voice mail message, don't call the scammer
back. We all like to have the last word, but returning the phone call may
just give the con artist information he can use.
The government typically
doesn't call, text or email. Government agencies normally communicate
through the mail, so be very cautious of any unsolicited calls, text
messages or emails you receive. Also, if the government is contacting you,
they should already have your basic personal info, such as your Social
Security number.
Don't trust Caller ID.
Scammers have technology that lets them display any number or organization
name on your screen.
There is only one place to shop for a qualified
health plan: www.HealthCare.gov,
which is run by the Federal Trade Commission's Center for Medicare and
Medicaid Services.
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Who is being targeted?
Anyone can be the victim of this
scam, but some groups are more likely to be targeted than others.
The new law has special provisions for the following groups:
For more information::
More information on the Affordable Care Act is available from the
federal government's Health
Insurance Marketplace.
To find out more about scams, check out the
BBB Scam Stopper.
[Text from file received from the
Better Business Bureau of
Central Illinois]
For 100 years, the Better Business
Bureau has been helping consumers find businesses, brands and
charities they can trust. In 2012, consumers turned to the Better
Business Bureau more than 100 million times for reviews on more than
4 million companies and reports on 11,000 charities, all available
for free at www.bbb.org. The Council of Better Business Bureaus is
the umbrella organization for 114 local, independent BBBs across the
United States and Canada, as well as home to its national programs
on dispute resolution and industry self-regulation.
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