“Open enrollment season for Iowans means it’s scam season for criminals,” Attorney General Brenna Bird said on October 15, the day Medicare’s yearly sign-up period began. Her office warned that callers are going after older Iowans’ Medicare numbers with a short list of tricks. Two stand out: a made-up enrollment deadline, and an offer to mail a new card once the caller has “checked” the number.
Bird’s office said the goal is to steal Medicare numbers and other personal information “so they can commit fraud that can harm an innocent Iowan’s good name.” The release gives no dollar loss and no count of complaints. It describes the tactics and what to do about them.
Anyone on Medicare who gets a call, text or voicemail about a card, a deadline or a plan change is the person the warning is written for. The test is simple. Bird said Medicare “does not initiate calls to people directly,” so a call that starts the conversation is the first red flag.
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The deadline that is not a deadline
Open enrollment runs October 15 through December 7. Medicare’s home page, Medicare.gov, shows the same window, “now to December 7,” for comparing 2027 health and drug plans. The attorney general says a caller who cites any earlier cutoff is running a scam.
The invented date does the scammer’s work. It creates pressure, and pressure makes people hand over a number they would otherwise guard. A real plan change needs no phone call from a stranger and can be made any day in the window.
The warning also covers the pitch that someone can switch plans with everything staying the same. Bird’s office says that claim is false. A switch during open enrollment can change a person’s network of doctors, drug coverage or out-of-pocket maximum.
Texts are covered too. The office says Medicare does not start a call or text conversation, and its advice for a text is to ignore it and never click the link. For a call, the advice is to hang up.
The new-card offer
The second tactic in the headline is a caller who says a new Medicare card is on the way, but needs to check the number first. The office says no one calls to confirm a number before sending a card.
A real replacement is mailed after the card holder asks for it, either through the person’s Medicare online account or by phone. Medicare.gov has a “Replace your card” task for that. The phone number for Medicare is 1-800-MEDICARE, or 1-800-633-4227.
Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans do not call to ask for a Medicare number, bank account details or a payment to keep coverage, the release says.
Swabs, devices and a fake fraud unit
The release lists three more pitches. An offer of free cancer genetic screening with a cheek swab, or of any free medical device, is a scam. A caller who claims to be from a Medicare Fraud Unit, says a person’s number was misused, and asks for the number or a fee to “clear” the file is a scammer, the attorney general says. Real federal officers do not do this.
The Federal Trade Commission raised a related risk on September 28. Its consumer alert says bad actors use web addresses that look like government sites and sometimes pay to appear at the top of search results. Following an ad’s link or phone number can lead to a plan that is not real health insurance, and it can expose a person to medical identity theft.
The FTC advises typing the site name straight into the browser and checking for the .gov ending. It points people to the State Health Insurance Assistance Program at shiphelp.org and Senior Medicare Patrol at smpresource.org for free help.
Open enrollment is the time of year when many people really do expect calls and mail about their plans. That is why the timing of the warning matters. A caller who mentions a plan for 2027 sounds routine, and the attorney general wants Iowans to treat the call itself as the warning sign.
Anyone who does want to compare plans can use the plan comparison on Medicare.gov, or ask Medicare questions through the “Talk to someone” page the attorney general lists at medicare.gov/talk-to-someone. The state’s Senior Medicare Patrol and SHIP counselors, which the FTC names, give free help with plan choices.
Where Iowans can report a call
In all, the attorney general’s list of red flags includes unsolicited calls or texts, an invented earlier deadline, a card-number check, free tests or devices, a fake fraud-unit officer and a plan switch promised with no changes. A call with any one of them is enough reason to stop talking.
Bird asked anyone who believes they are being scammed to “hang up and contact my office.” The attorney general’s consumer line is 515-281-5926, and the email address is consumer@ag.iowa.gov. Suspicious calls can also be reported to 1-800-MEDICARE.
The FTC takes reports at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Did you already read your Medicare number to a caller?
If so, the next hour counts more than the next month.
A Medicare number given to the wrong voice is personal information in a thief’s hands, and the attorney general says the aim is fraud in the victim’s name. Most people do not know what to do in the first hour after a call like that.
The Senior Fraud Defense & First-Hour Recovery Kit is built for that moment, and it also helps people spot the next call. It includes the free credit-freeze steps, so a freeze can be placed at no cost.
Have the credit-freeze steps ready with the Senior Fraud Defense Kit →
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This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
Warren Cohen is a finance writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, covering personal finance topics including credit, banking, and beginner investing. He earned his degree in business administration from Arizona State University and began his career working in consumer finance, where he gained direct experience with lending and credit systems. He now writes for personal finance websites and fintech platforms, focusing on clear, practical content that helps readers make informed financial decisions.
