Please read below to learn about the top 10 tips for Medicare fraud prevention, from U.S. Postal Inspector Shari M. Delaney.
Medicare Fraudsters contact potential victims in various ways.
- Person to person
- Via phone or fax
- Via the U. S. Mail
TIP #10 – Be Suspicious!!!
- We are far too trusting, which is a good thing, but scammers use it to their advantage.
- “If it sounds too good to be true, IT IS”
TIP #9 – Do Your Homework!!!
- Verify any offer, opportunity, or investment via the many resources available. Use the internet or use the computer at your local library or the librarian herself. Check with BBB, Federal Trade Commission, Dept of Corporations, or me (Shari Delaney, US POSTAL INSPECTOR, see contact info below).
- Nothing is Urgent! Don’t let them pressure you into anything.
- Don’t automatically trust the word of an acquaintance, friend, caregiver, family member.
- Don’t send $ to anyone you do not know!!
TIP #8 – Listen to Your Inner Voice
- If it just doesn’t feel right, don’t do it. (Women especially have great intuition. Use it.)
- Trust yourself. You have a lifetime of experiences to draw on from.
TIP #7 – Never Deposit a Check if you do not know who sent it to you.
- Fraudster can get your bank account #.
- If the check is counterfeit, you are liable. Don’t be a victim.
TIP #6 – Guard your personal information.
- Your personal information is, just that, PERSONAL. Don’t give a stranger that which is PERSONAL.
TIP #5 – Telemarketers will take all you have then sell your info to another fraudster.
- Sign up for the Do Not Call List. Crooks will still contact you, but reputable companies will respect the Do Not Call list, as they can be fined. If you are on the DNC list and someone is calling you to solicit you, they are likely a scammer.
- Out of country scammers call at odd times and are relentless.
- Just hang up. Blow a whistle. Talk slowly. Talk non-stop.
- There is no need to be nice to a telemarketer.
TIP #4 – Tell the telemarketers your phone number is changing.
Give telemarketers my number (213) 210-6687, which serves two purposes:
- Prevention. Scammer may scratch your telephone number off their list and sell / pass my number along instead.
- This ASSISTS law enforcement in our investigation of fraud. I love talking to them AND it may help us track down the scammer.
TIP #3 – Use the “Middle Initial Trick” to reduce how many mailing lists you may be on.
- Use a different middle initial when you subscribe to things. If you receive mail with that “different” middle initial you will immediately know who sold your name and you can contact that company to have yourself removed from their list so they don’t sell your information again.
TIP #2 – Destroy All Documents containing your information.
- Shred your personal documents
- Throw animal waste into trash with your personal papers; Even bad guys don’t want to comb through that.
- After trash can is pushed to the curb, add water inside to wash inked information from documents.
AND THE NUMBER ONE TIP FOR MEDICARE FRAUD PREVENTION:
TIP #1 – JUST SAY “NO”.
If you think you are the victim of a fraud please contact U. S. Postal Inspector, Shari Delaney, as she is a big part of catching these thieves, scammers and fraudsters.
Contact Information:
Shari M. Delaney
U. S. Postal Inspector
(562) 983-8319 office | (213) 210-6687 cell
