Scammers are targeting seniors.
If you’ve received a bill in the mail for a COVID-19 test that you haven’t taken – don’t pay it.
The Federal Trade Commission is warning that unordered COVID tests and bills are arriving on doorsteps across the country.
Scammers are targeting people with Medicare and stealing people’s Medicare numbers to pull it off.
Buddy Campioni has received nine Medicare bills from all over the country. Some are from Texas, others are from Illinois. Some were even sent in his mother’s name, who passed away last year.
“I started noticing bills for a COVID test that I supposedly purchased and COVID tests that I submitted and that they did a test one. I’ve never taken a COVID test in my life,” Campioni said.
The FTC says this is a scam. After the COVID-19 health emergency officially ended in May, Medicare and other health insurance plans stopped paying for tests, so scammers are capitalizing on the opportunity.
By law, companies can’t send you things you didn’t order and then demand payment. If you get one of these bills in the mail:
Don’t pay itReport the scam to the FTCCheck your Medicare summary notices and explanation of benefits to see if your account was billedCall 1-800-MEDICARE
Medicare can help correct fraudulent charges once you report them.
“Anybody that’s on Medicare, straight Medicare, you need to look otherwise you might be getting bills for 100 bucks or 100 bucks there,” Campione advised.
Scammers may also be sending at-home COVID-19 tests to your door. If you didn’t order it, you’re legally entitled to keep it as a free gift. You don’t have to pay for something you didn’t order.
You can report Medicare fraud to the FTC here.