Benefits / Social Security Fraud

Medicare scam calls have surged this summer, with scammers using AI-powered automated calls targeting seniors to steal Medicare and Social Security numbers for fraudulent claims and identity theft. The scams employ various tactics including offering free services, threatening to cancel coverage, or claiming refunds are due, with Medicare losing an estimated $60 billion annually to fraud and abuse. Legitimate Medicare will never initiate calls or request personal information—all real communications come by mail—and seniors should never provide Medicare or Social Security numbers to unsolicited callers.

This article is a product review comparing identity theft protection services rather than reporting on actual fraud incidents. It does not contain information about specific scams, victims, or dollar amounts lost to fraud—instead, it lists seven identity theft protection services with their features, coverage limits, and pricing tiers designed to help consumers prevent identity theft and fraud.

South Korea's voice phishing losses dropped 76.4% in August to 25.7 billion won, the lowest level since 2023, following the implementation of an Integrated Response Task Force that blocks criminal tools within 10 minutes of reports and has handled over 281,000 reports in its first year. Cases fell 49% in the January-August period to 8,584 from 16,765 a year earlier, with total losses declining 56% to 387.1 billion won, though new scam types like romance fraud and fraudulent investment schemes have emerged as a spillover effect. Police shifted strategy from reactive perpetrator tracking to proactive prevention through emergency blocking systems, pre

During Open Enrollment, scammers create fraudulent websites and ads mimicking legitimate government health insurance sites like Healthcare.gov and Medicare.gov, using similar web addresses, official logos, and keywords to trick consumers into purchasing fake plans or exposing themselves to medical identity theft. Victims may unknowingly pay for counterfeit insurance or have their personal health information compromised through these deceptive practices. Consumers should report suspected health insurance scams to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, their state attorney general, or Medicare directly at 800-633-4227.

Approximately 80% of North Dakota veterans and military personnel are targeted by scammers, with roughly 40% losing money, according to AARP data. Fraudsters are using increasingly sophisticated tactics including fake government postcards, AI-generated voices, deepfake videos, and phishing texts to steal veterans' benefits, direct deposit information, and banking details. AARP is hosting free educational "Lunch and Learn" events in Grand Forks and Minot on September 29-30 to help veterans and military families recognize and avoid these evolving scams.

A 70-year-old Michigan woman lost over $270,000 after a scammer impersonating an FTC agent threatened her with arrest for money laundering and drug trafficking. Believing the false charges, she initially purchased gold and later cashed out her own and her late husband's pension accounts to pay the fraudster, who was eventually arrested after she reported the crime to police. This case exemplifies a common government impersonation scam targeting seniors, who collectively lost $7.7 billion to fraud in 2025.

A 70-year-old Michigan woman cashed out her and her late husband's pension accounts, totaling over $270,000, after a scammer posing as an FTC agent threatened her with arrest for alleged money laundering and drug trafficking. The victim was instructed to purchase gold and later withdraw cash to pay the fake charges, and was threatened with arrest if she contacted police. A 30-year-old man from Sacramento was arrested using community camera footage, though it's unclear whether the victim recovered her money.

Scammers are targeting seniors over 50 through Bitcoin ATM fraud, where victims are tricked into withdrawing cash and converting it to cryptocurrency at machines located in familiar stores, which is then sent to criminal wallets with no legal recourse for recovery. The FBI reported over 13,400 cryptocurrency-kiosk fraud complaints in 2025 with losses exceeding $388 million, with seniors accounting for more than half the complaints and $302 million in losses. Scammers typically impersonate government agencies, banks, or tech support companies claiming urgent problems to pressure victims into using Bitcoin ATMs, which lack the consumer protections of traditional banking methods.

Bitcoin ATM scams, often initiated by phone callers impersonating government agencies or banks, trick victims into withdrawing cash and converting it to cryptocurrency at kiosks, with the funds sent to scammer-controlled wallets and virtually impossible to recover. The FBI reported over 13,400 cryptocurrency-kiosk fraud complaints in 2025 totaling $388 million in losses, with seniors over 50 accounting for more than half the complaints and exceeding $302 million in losses. Criminals use spoofed phone numbers, AI technology, and fabricated financial emergencies to pressure victims into these irreversible transactions, which lack the legal protections of traditional banking.

Multiple fall scams are currently circulating, including Medicare enrollment fraud, mail scams, romance scams, and contractor scams targeting homeowners planning fall projects. The article advises consumers to be cautious during Medicare enrollment season and to ask thorough questions before hiring contractors for home improvement work. Specific dollar amounts and victim details were not provided in this informational advisory piece.