ALBANY, N.Y., June 24, 2025 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The New York StateWide Senior Action Council (StateWide), a 53-year-old non-profit organization dedicated to serving the needs and well-being of our State’s approximately 2.5 million senior citizens today announced its Medicare Fraud of the Month for June: Doctor Spoofing Calls.

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.

“Scammers are getting sneakier. They can now manipulate your caller ID to make it look like your doctor’s office, Medicare, pharmacy or even a local hospital is calling. This trick is called “spoofing,” and it’s designed to gain Seniors’ trust and steal personal information,” explained Maria Alvarez, Executive Director of the New York StateWide Senior Action Council. “Don’t trust Caller ID, scammers can fake it, even a doctor’s phone number,” she added.

Scammers might say on a call:

• This is your doctor’s office. Your doctor says you need a back brace, please confirm your Medicare number to proceed.
• Your test results are ready, but we need your Social Security number to verify.
• Medicare is updating your records — can you please confirm your details with a “YES or “NO.”
• This is your pharmacy. We need your date of birth and insurance information to refill your prescription.

Seniors can protect themselves against such scams by doing the following:

• If a spoofing call is suspected, hang up and call back using a number you trust — like the one on your doctor’s website or your Medicare card.
• Don’t share personal information over the phone with unknown callers.
• Do not respond to any questions, with “YES” or “NO.” Instead, hang up. Medicare will never call a recipient.
• Check Medicare Summary Notices (MSNs) and Explanation of Benefits (EOBs) for suspicious claims like supplies or telehealth visits not received.

If contacted by a scammer or Medicare fraud is suspected, report it to the NYS Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP)! Call our Helpline at 800-333-4374.

“We have trained counselors to help educate Medicare beneficiaries in the fight against health care fraud. To report Medicare fraud, errors or abuse you can call our NYS Medicare Fraud Helpline at 800-333-4374 or visit www.nysenior.org,” Alvarez concluded.

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.