ALBANY, N.Y., Aug. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The New York StateWide Senior Action Council (StateWide), a 54-year-old non-profit organization dedicated to serving the needs and well-being of our State’s more than 3.6 million senior citizens, today announced its Medicare Fraud of the Month for August: Medicare Card Fraud.

The StateWide Fraud of the Month is a component of the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP), the definitive resource for New York State’s older adults and caregivers to detect, prevent, and report healthcare fraud, errors, and abuse. StateWide is New York’s grantee/administrator for this Federal Program.

Maria Alvarez, Executive Director of StateWide, explains, “Scammers are using multiple tricks to gain your trust and steal your Medicare number.”

Medicare Card Scams include:

• SENIORS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR A PLASTIC MEDICARE CARD!
  • FACT: Medicare is not calling beneficiaries offering new plastic Medicare cards.
• MEDICARE CARDS ARE EXPIRING!
  • FACT: Medicare Cards NEVER expire.
• MEDICARE RECIPIENTS QUALIFY FOR FREE GROCERIES!
  • FACT: Be cautious of “free” benefit offers in exchange for Medicare numbers, it’s most likely a Scam.
• ACT NOW TO GET A NEW MEDICARE CARD!
  • FACT: Medicare does not use pressure or create deadlines to motivate recipients.

Scammers are using multiple tricks to obtain Seniors’ Medicare information. Scammers may offer free medical equipment, extra Medicare benefits, or a new Medicare card to gain trust and steal Medicare numbers.

“If an offer related to Medicare sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t. It’s important to verify all information before responding to these offers,” Alvarez concluded.

Seniors suspecting fraud should contact the New York State Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) at 800-333-4374 or visit www.nysenior.org. StateWide has trained counselors to help Medicare beneficiaries in the fight against Medicare fraud.

StateWide also provides information and educational presentations, assistance regarding any Medicare questions, plan comparisons, appeals, billing issues and patients’ rights to all seniors throughout New York State.

It is estimated that Medicare fraud costs taxpayers over $60 billion dollars nationally per year. To help combat this illicit industry StateWide announced its Fraud of the Month program in 2022 to highlight these scams being perpetrated on the State’s seniors.

SOURCE New York StateWide Senior Action Council, Inc.