Posing as employees from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), scammers are calling seniors and claiming they need to “update” or “verify” personal information. But these calls are not legitimate. The scammers are collecting Medicare numbers and other sensitive information to submit fraudulent claims for medical equipment or medication, pocketing the reimbursements.

It’s important to know: CMS will never call you unless you’ve contacted them first. They are not issuing new Medicare cards. If you receive a call claiming you need to verify your Medicare number or are being issued a new card, it’s a SCAM.

If you believe your Medicare number has been compromised or want to report a suspicious call, contact Medicare directly at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).