Scamming of Seniors UP!
by Pastor Leonard Navarre
Have you read the entire “ObamaCare” bill? You know the “Affordable Care Act”? Do you know what regulations went into effect in 2013? Those that will go into effect in 2014? Well, I’m guessing that thousands upon thousands of Seniors haven’t read it either. AND, that’s what scammers are counting on. According to the polls over half of Americans don’t know what the Act contains.
“Law enforcement agencies are reporting an increase in these sorts of health insurance scams across the country. Many of the fraudsters seem to be preying on the public’s confusion over the massive changes taking place in the nation’s health care system.
Seniors are often targets — they’re more likely to be home to answer the phone, and they tend to have retirement savings that scammers hope to tap. But they aren’t the only victims: The federal government received nearly 83,000 complaints of “imposter scams” last year — up 12 percent from the year before.” – Jenny Gold, Kaiser Health News
The first plan of action is DO NOT GIVE OUT ANY INFORMATION over the phone through a third party or from a cold call to your residence. These scammers prey on Seniors because many of them are home, will answer the phone AND they have no idea what is contained within “ObamaCare”. So they are targeted by the scammers.
Also, be very careful of unsolicited texts, unsolicited emails, and unsolicitied U.S. Post Office mail.
“America’s rife with health scams,” says James Quiggle, communications director at the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud in Washington, D.C. “Crooks are offering fake health coverage, stripped down policies masquerading as real coverage. They’re also selling … fake Obamacare coverage,” he explains.
“Fraudsters are as attuned to what’s going on in the news as anybody else,” says Lois Greisman, who runs the division of marketing practices at the Federal Trade Commission. “Before Katrina hit land, websites were up soliciting funds to help victims of Katrina. This is not a surprise; this is par for the course.” A program as vast as the health care overhaul makes for a dangerous twist on the regular scams, she adds.
Americans BE ON GUARD!