Alaskan seniors are being targeted by phone scams that aim to elicit personal information by selling unnecessary or less than quality medical equipment.
The Better Business Bureau and Alaska Medicare Information Office have received reports of the scams which claim the callers mislead and pressure seniors into purchases.
Michelle Tabler with the BBB says no one should ever give a solicitor personal information over the phone, especially if the call is unsolicited.
Tabler: “I say it every time I go to a senior center, it’s okay to hang up the phone.”
The bureau also suggests rejecting robocalls that offer deals that sound too-good-to-be-true and not to press a numbered option as it verifies the phone number is working and those calls then increase.
These types of scams have been reported by seniors but Tabler says anyone can be a victim of the calls.
BBB’s suggestions to avoid telephone scams:
- Just say no. Never give personal and private information to a solicitor over the phone, especially if the call wasn’t initiated. BBB suggests just hanging up.
- Free offers may not be free. Even if the consumer is told that Medicare will be billed, there may be out-of-pocket expenses, such as co-pays and deductibles.
- Reject robocalls. Some companies use robocalls to sell medical alert devices. If called, never press a numbered option. This verifies that the phone number is a working number and the calls may increase in frequency.
- Check endorsements. Callers may claim to be connected with legitimate associations and agencies. Check first at bbb.org or call the healthcare agency directly to verify the endorsement.