Nick Keppler, The New York Times, December 5, 2025
Summary
Seniors across the United States are being bombarded with Medicare scam calls during the annual open enrollment period, with some receiving 50 to 60 calls daily. The scammers impersonate Medicare officials or claim to offer enhanced Medicare plans, attempting to steal personal information to charge Medicare for bogus services.
Complaints about Medicare scam calls to Better Business Bureaus have increased 40 percent over last year. The callers often already possess some victim information from data leaks sold on the dark web, lending credibility to their schemes.
Medicare records with false diagnoses, incorrect allergies, and fake lab results, potentially preventing recipients from accessing legitimate care. Victims find it difficult to stop the calls without blocking legitimate medical contacts, and changing phone numbers proves unfeasible given the need to notify numerous legitimate contacts.
Quotes
"My name is Laura from health care. We're reaching out to seniors to ensure any unclaimed additional Medicare benefit. You have Medicare Parts A and B, right?" - Recorded scam message
"I'm counting the days until open enrollment ends." - Daveen Kurutz, daughter of Steven Kurutz
"It's incredibly annoying. I want to keep my phone open for legitimate communication." - Clint Seiter, 75, San Francisco
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