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Kalamazoo Gazette reports
Phony Medicare Insurance Agents Targeting Senior
Citizens
March 31, 2005 – The Kalamazoo Gazette reports
today that senior citizens are the target of scam artists claiming to be
selling Medicare supplemental health insurance.
At least three times this week apparent scam
artists have tried to sell fake Medicare supplemental health insurance
in the area by telephone, the newspaper reports.
Lorie Peterson of Senior Services told the Gazette
that while there are legitimate private insurance companies that sell
the insurance, in all three area cases, callers declined to provide
personal or company names.
"I think it's a scam, because they didn't give
legitimate information," Peterson said. "When they don't, something's
fishy."
Supplemental insurance pays for medical expenses
not covered by Medicare.
One woman who reported a call to Senior Services
said the caller asked for and got her checking-account number. Realizing
her mistake later, she quickly went to the bank and changed her account.
Peggy Sattler of the Area Agency on Aging and
coordinator of the Access to Benefits Coalition, said she was told the
caller talked rapidly and didn't give up until he had the account
number.
"Don't ever give out any financial information on
the phone unless you know who you are talking to or you called them,"
Sattler said.
Peterson said seniors who are suspicious of callers
should hang up. If someone comes to the door, close and lock the door,
she said.
In both kinds of cases, file a police report, she
told the Gazette.
For more of the story and local Kalamazoo contacts
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