Tuesday, May27, 2014
Please share this Fraud Alert with colleagues, consumers, or other professionals in your area. If you have any questions about the Illinois SMP program, or to receive these Fraud Alerts directly, please contact Jason Echols, Healthcare Consumer Protection Coordinator at AgeOptions.
This document was supported in part by a grant (No. 90MP0163 & 90SP0061) from the Administration on Aging (AoA), Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Grantees carrying out projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Therefore, points of view or opinions do not necessarily represent official AoA, ACL, or DHHS policy.
Fraud In The News
The following are current news articles about health care and fraud issues.
Health Care Fraud:
- “Medicare Fraud Strike Force Charges 90 Individuals for Approximately $260 Million in False Billing” (DOJ):
- “CMS Makes Improvements to Medicare Drug and Health Plans” (CMS):
- “Quiz: Is It a Scam or Is It Real?” (AARP):
- “ID Theft in the Afterlife” (AARP):
- “How to Cyberproof Your Phone” (AARP):
Dear SMP readers,
This week’s Fraud Alertcontains a new Spanish SMP resource and a scam alert about U.S. Postal Service imposters.
Have a great week!
What you will find in this week’s Fraud Alert
- New SMP Resource: Spanish How to Read an MSN
- “Wait a Minute, Mr. Postman!”: Postal Service Imposter Scam
The Illinois SMP just released a Spanish translation of our “How to Read a Medicare Summary Notice (MSN)” handout. This new translation is available on the Materials page of our website or at:
Please share this resource with clients, family members, community sites where it may be useful and encourage people to read their MSN and report any suspicious charges to the Illinois SMP at AgeOptions at (800)699-9043. The English version of this handout is also available:
“Wait a Minute, Mr. Postman!”: Postal Service Imposter Scam
Our partners at the U.S. Postal Inspection Service recently informed us of a scam where someone posing as the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is contacting consumers via email or phone to get personal information. The scammer says that you have a package that has been intercepted or attempted delivery, and they need your information to make a delivery.
But as that great Motown song says, “Wait just a minute, Mr. Postman!” Before clicking on any links or giving out any information, wait and think: the USPS does not contact you in this manner for undeliverable packages and would certainly never ask for personal information. Do not click on links in these emails because they may include viruses and do not give personal information over the phone. Instead, hang up and you can call your local post office (you can verify the number of your local post office at to see if you have a package.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is actively investigating these fraudulent emails and phone calls. They are asking the public to report this scam by calling the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at (877)876-2455.
For more information on this scam, see this press release from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service:
Jason B. Echols, MSW, Health Care Consumer Protection Coordinator
AgeOptions
1048 Lake Street, Suite 300
Oak Park, IL60301
phone (708)383-0258 fax (708)524-0870
ageoptions.org
AgeOptions, the Area Agency on Aging of Suburban Cook County, is committed to improving the quality of life and maintaining the dignity of older adults and those who care about them – through leadership and support, community partnerships, comprehensive services, accurate information and powerful advocacy.
Fraud Alertscontain information about current scams taking place in Illinois, announcements and updates about programs or services related to health care and/or fraud protection, and links to news articles about health care and fraud topics. Please forward any recommendations or announcements that you would like to be included in a future Fraud Alert to .