About Medicare

Medicare is a federal health insurance program for people over the age of 65, those with disabilities, and people of any age who have end-stage renal disease. The Medicare program was created in 1965 by Congress to provide health insurance for Americans over the age of 65.

The Medicare program provides comprehensive coverage for most medical services, including hospitalization, surgery, physician services, prescription drugs and other medical supplies, home health care services, skilled nursing care and hospice care.

Medicare is funded through a combination of premiums paid by beneficiaries and general revenue tax receipts. The Medicare payroll tax applies to all working Americans under the age of 65 who make more than $200,000 per year or couples that make more than $250k annually.

As of January 1st 2019 there are approximately 59 million people enrolled in Medicare throughout the United States.

Medicare History

The Medicare program was established in 1965 by the Social Security Amendments of 1965, which was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson on July 30th, 1965. Medicare is funded through taxes on wages paid by employers and employees. In order to qualify for Medicare, individuals must be legal residents of the United States, must have lived in the country for at least five years, and must be citizens or have been admitted for lawful permanent residence.

Medicare has been modified several times since its inception by acts such as the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA), which increased access to prescription drugs for beneficiaries; The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA), which added outpatient prescription drug benefits; The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA), which created a new prescription drug benefit; The Tax Relief Health Care Act of 2006 (TRHCA), which expanded eligibility for Medicaid benefits; The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), which expanded eligibility requirements for Medicare Advantage plans and reduced payments to doctors; The Medicare Improvements for Patients.

About the Medicare Scam:

The Medicare scam is set up to take users medicare account information. The scammer impersonates a Medicare representative who is updating the users Medicare Card. The scammer informs users that that are sending a new medicare card to the user, and they need the user to verify their medicare information before they do.

The audio of the Medicare Scam was captured by a YouMail user who was aware that the scammer was not who they claimed to be. The user was aware that the information that scammer was requesting was personal and kept that information confidential. As the scammer gets more frustrated the user continues to antagonize them by requesting that they verify their information. 

The medicare scam conversation is not only educational but entertaining. It is a testament as too the lengths that scammers will go to impersonate brands and steal their clients information. 

Medicare Scam Conversation Audio:

" My name is Raja RJay and last name is ********.
*-*-*-*-* raja.
Right, Raja ********.
Okay, finally, just grab your previous Medicare card in your hand.
The blue, white and red card of your car is blue, bottom is white and underneath your car is white.
Grab your card.
I'm holding the line.
Okay, okay, I'm holding for you.
Okay, I'm holding the card for you.
Okay, so you have the blue white and red card, right?
Yes, I have the blue and white and red card.
Yes.
Okay, that is within your name.
You can see that.
Yes.
You are from Medicare, right?
Yes.
I'm calling you from Medicare health department.
Yes.
Well, don't you have the card number in front of you?
Yes, sir, I have it like you have one digit, two alphabet, one digit.
I want you to read card to meso I can recall back to you.
What number do you have?
You sire have a first digit, then two alphabets and one digit, then dash, then two alphabets, one digit, then dash, then two alphabet and two digits, right?
Yes.
Could you tell me the number you have?
Tell me the number you have Sir we are not able to read it to the because we have to make sure that we're talking to the right person.
So that's why we have to verify this information for the customers side.
Okay, I don't want to read numbers to you.
You read the number to me and then I will say to you, yes, that's the right number or no, that's not the right number for that purpose I'm verifying to get ridiculous information.
Okay, like you have a one digit, then two alphabet, right?
Then one digit, then dash, then two alphabets and one digit, then two alphabets and two digits, right?
Yes.
Okay, so just read it.
I'm just going to check it.
Okay, you're going to read to me, right?
I'm reading the medical field formation.
I just need to verify your seal formation.
Like one digit, two alphabet and one digit, and one digit, then dashed to alphabet and two digits, right?
Okay, I have one digit, two alphabet, one digit, then I have the dash, then I have two alphabet, one digit, then I have the dash, and two alphabet and one digit, and then one digit.
Okay, that's perfect.
So just read it.
I'm just going to check it and I'm going to update your medical profile and then you're eligible for 2022 benefits so we can send you the new Medicare card.
I posted by mail.
Okay.
Okay.
I'm waiting for you to read the card to me and then I tell you yes or no, sir, well I already told you it's a recorded line and if I hidden information, that's why we are not able to read it.
Okay?
Okay, I guess.
Well then if you cannot read to me, how do I know you are the medicare.
The people they call and they try to get the number from me.
I am Raja and I don't like to try to give the number to you because you are trying to steal the number from me.
No, sir, I don't understand your consent.
You're just trying to protect yourself and it's your legal right.
Yes, you sent me the new card and then I will talk to you and tell you how I like the new card.
You send it to me.
Do you want my new address?
I give you my new address.
You can take my agent ID.
Okay. I'm calling you from Medicare Health Department. You can search it on Google.
Okay?
It's a recorded line. You don't need to worry about that.
Okay?
Yes, please.
This is Brian Hood speaking and I'm calling you from Medicare Health Department and my ID is two UB three.
Okay, yeah, I will wait for the new Medicaid tail card to come to me and then what is your number?
Then I call you back and then I can tell you if I like it or not.
It's the same number to call me back.
I just need to verify your previous Medicare number that I'm eligible to update your medical profile.
Okay?
Okay, you read me the number and then I will say yes or no.
Yes, sir.
That's why I'm reading it to you.
No, I want you to read the number like ABC.
One, two, three.
That number, you tell me that.
Hello?
You hang up.
Oh, gee, I guess I won't have any Medicare.
Goodbye."

Detection Info:

First detected: NA

Numbers Connected to Scam: NA

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