BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is alerting the public about a government impostor scam in which people who participate in Medicare are asked to trade their information in exchange for a free DNA testing kits. Medicare does not market DNA testing kits to the general public.
The kits are pitched as a necessary tool for Medicare to provide the participant with a free test that can help doctors get an early diagnoses for diseases like cancer. Scammers target the consumer’s Medicare numbers, Social Security numbers, and other personal information.
The FTC says before you give anyone your personal information or a swab from your cheek, consider these tips to help you spot and avoid these kinds of scams:
- Government agencies will rarely, if ever, call you. If they do, it will be after they send you a letter – or to return a call you made to them. But anytime the “government” caller demands information (or payment by wire transfer or gift card), that’s a scam.
- Don’t trust caller ID. Scammers use technology to hide their real number, but show one that seems legit. So if the caller ID shows a 202 area code, or says “government” or “Washington, DC,” don’t take that at face value. It could be anyone calling from anywhere.
- Never give anyone who calls or approaches you out of the blue information like your Medicare, bank account, credit card or Social Security number. Scammers can use your information, steal your identity, get credit in your name and take your money.
Report government imposters and other scams to the FTC.
