Tag: Scams

Attorney General Warns of IRS Scam

Attorney General Patrick Morrisey is reminding citizens to be on guard against a phone scam in which a caller pretends to work for the Internal Revenue Service and threatens residents if they don’t pay a certain sum using a pre-paid debit card or money order.

“Our Office first issued warnings about this scam back in December, and we continue to get calls from people who are being harassed by people posing as IRS agents . We’ve had more than 150 complaints from citizens since the end of May, and because of that, we felt it was important to remind people to take every precaution they can and hang up on these scammers.”
 
Morrisey said the callers often use aggressive language and threaten consumers with everything from losing their driver’s license or business license to jail time if the money isn’t paid immediately.
 
According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), roughly 90,000 Americans have filed complaints about this scam.

Morrisey said citizens who believe they may have a tax issue should contact the IRS directly, rather than answer questions from someone who calls or emails them out of the blue.

If someone claiming to be an IRS representative requesting payment contacts you, immediately hang up and call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. If you owe taxes, IRS workers can help you get those resolved. If a fraudulent IRS representative contacts you, please contact the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Office at 1-800-368-8808.

How Can You Protect Yourself from Medicare Fraud?

Open enrollment for Medicare ends Saturday, Dec. 7, and Kimberly Riddle with the WV Senior Medicare Patrol said that means an influx of scams directed toward seniors.

Whether they receive phones calls asking for personal information for fake Obamacare cards or banking information to bill them for their new Medicaid cards, Riddle said it’s important for seniors to know these are fraudulent calls and to report them.

At the West Virginia AARP’s “Consumer University” in Charleston, an educational seminar to reduce fraud among older West Virginians, Riddle presented easy steps for seniors to protect, detect and report possible healthcare fraud.

Protect:

Treat your Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security number like a credit card number, Never give these numbers to a stranger.

Remember, Medicare doesn’t call or visit to sell you anything,

Don’t carry your Medicare or Medicaid card unless you are going to a doctor’s appointment, visiting a hospital or clinic, or making a trip to the pharmacy.

Record your doctor visits, test and procedures in a personal health care journal or calendar.

Save your Medicare Summary Notices (MSN) and Part D Explanation of Benefits (EOB). Shred the documents when they are no longer useful.

Detect:

Always review your MSN and EOB for mistakes. You can access your current account 24 hours a day at www.MyMedicare.gov

Compare your MSN and EOB to your personal health care journal and prescription receipts.

Look for charges for something you didn’t get, billing for the same thing twice, or billings for services your doctor did not order.

Report:

If you have a question about the information on your MSN or EOB, call you provider or plan first.

If you are not comfortable calling your provider, call the Senior Medicare Patrol at 1-800-799-4638.

“If you do find a mistake you can call us and we’ll help you investigate that, answer your questions and see if we can’t get it resolved for you,” Riddle said.

For help reviewing your current Medicare plan and guidance on choosing the appropriate plan going into 2014, contact the West Virginia Bureau of Senior Services at 1-877-987-4463 or Medicare 24 hours a day at 1-800-633-4227.
 

Don't Get Ripped Off

More than 150 consumers from the Kanawha Valley  are expected to attend “Consumer University,” a free educational seminar hosted  by AARP Foundation on Thursday, December 5, at the Charleston Embassy Suites, 300 Court Street, Charleston. The event begins at 10:30 a.m. and concludes at 2 p.m.
 
Thursday’s Consumer University event features presenters including representatives of the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office, West Virginia Senior Medicare Patrol, AARP Foundation, West Virginia State Health Insurance Assistance Program, and the West Virginia Bankers Association.
Lunch and refreshments will be provided. Registration for the event is required. To register, call 877-926-8300. Registration will close at noon, Wednesday, December 4.

This consumer protection education event is a targeted effort to reduce the incidence of fraud among older West Virginians by teaching the tactics most commonly used by fraudsters and the simple steps every consumer can take to reduce their risk.

How to "BEWARE" of Fraud During Holidays

The holiday season is often thought of as a time for giving, but state officials want West Virginians to be cautious as they choose who to donate to this year.

To protect yourself and your family from scams, the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office is urging you to ask questions of solicitors calling your home, research each organization before you decide to give and report any charity you believe may be fraudulent.

The office advises using the “BEWARE” method as warning signs for potentially fraudulent charities:

Bills or invoices are sent to you even though you never pledge money to the organization

Evasive, vague, or unresponsive answers to specific questions about the organization and how the money is used

Words making up a charity’s name that closely resemble a more-well known charity

Allowing you no time to reconsider your pledge; they insist on collecting your money immediately

Refusal to answer questions about where your money will go or refusal to send more information about the charity

Emotional appeals and high pressure tactics to get you to make a quick donation, or they make you feel guilty if you do not wish to contribute

The Secretary of State’s Office keeps a database of all charities licensed to solicit donations from West Virginians.

If you are contacted by an organization you believe to be fraudulent, call the Charities’ Division at (304) 558-6000.

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