The story: one phone call, one calm decision
It happened on a Tuesday, right in the middle of open enrollment. The call came to a Florida senior’s kitchen phone, and the caller ID even showed a number that looked official. The voice on the other end was calm and friendly at first, then it sharpened: Your Medicare coverage is being cancelled. Unless we verify your number right now, you could lose your benefits in January.
Here is the part that matters: panic did not win. This senior had heard the scripts before, and something about the pressure felt wrong. Real Medicare does not cancel coverage over the phone, and it does not demand your number on the spot. So the senior thanked the caller, hung up, and did the one thing that saves so many Florida seniors: called the free, real counselors at Florida’s SHINE program to check the facts firsthand.
That is how this story ends, with the senior who catches the scam winning the day. No names, no drama, no money lost, just a hung-up phone and a clear head. Every story in this series ends the same way, because knowledge really is the armor, and the senior who wears it walks away every time.
“The senior who spots the pressure, hangs up, and checks with a real counselor is the one who wins. That is the whole point of the Senior Scams series: armed with knowledge, you are not a target, you are the one who catches it.”
Why right now: open enrollment is live
Medicare open enrollment is live now, from October 15 through December 7, and any plan changes you make take effect on January 1. That window is scammers’ peak season: the FTC, AARP, and the Better Business Bureau all confirm that fraud surges during open enrollment, because millions of seniors are making coverage decisions at the same time. Just like holiday shopping brings out the porch pirates, open enrollment brings out the Medicare scammers, and they are ready for you.
The good news is that the calendar is your advantage too. You have the whole window, from October 15 to December 7, to compare, to ask, and to verify. Nobody who is legitimate needs your answer this minute, and the people who insist you decide right now are exactly the people to say goodbye to.
The six plays scammers run during open enrollment
Six scripts make up almost everything Florida seniors will hear this window. Learn all six now, and each one has its tell built in:
Play 01
The fake Medicare representative call
A caller claims to be from Medicare or your plan and says your coverage is being cancelled or 'flagged' unless you verify your Medicare number, your date of birth, or your bank details right now. Medicare does not call to demand verification, and no real representative needs your card number read back over the phone.
Red flag: pressure to verify personal numbers on the spot, with a cancellation threat attached.
Play 02
The 'new Medicare card' fee
Scammers announce a brand-new Medicare card and ask for a fee to send it, often paid by gift card, wire, or cryptocurrency. There is no new card coming, Medicare never charges for your card, and your real card has been free since 2018.
Red flag: any request for payment, especially gift cards or wire, for a 'Medicare card'.
Play 03
Look-alike websites and paid search ads
Fraudsters buy ads and domains that mirror Medicare.gov and Healthcare.gov, so a search for a plan can land you on a look-alike page that collects your number. The real government sites end in .gov, and every official Medicare tool lives at medicare.gov.
Red flag: a web address that looks almost right but is not a .gov address, or an ad that appears above the real one.
Play 04
Free medical equipment and genetic testing
Calls and mailers offer free back braces, knee braces, or at-home genetic testing kits. They are not free: the caller uses your Medicare number to bill Medicare for equipment and tests you never asked for, which can put your benefits and your billing statement at risk.
Red flag: a free offer that only needs your Medicare number to get started.
Play 05
Imposter insurance agents pressuring an immediate switch
A caller with a rehearsed pitch claims to be an agent and pushes you to switch plans on the spot, before December 7, or 'lose' a benefit. Real agents give you time, put offers in writing, and never demand an instant yes.
Red flag: demands to decide immediately, or a refusal to put the plan in writing.
Play 06
AI voice-clone calls
Scammers clone a familiar voice, a grown child's, a grandchild's, or a neighbor's, from a voicemail or a social video, and use it to sound like someone you trust warning you about your Medicare. The voice can be uncannily real; the play is still the same, so a callback to a number you already know settles it.
Red flag: a voice that sounds like someone you know asking for verification or money on a call you did not expect.
Red flags that give every open enrollment scam away
Scams do not thrive on cleverness; they thrive on speed and shame. If you hear one of these, you already know the script:
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Red flag 01 Urgency and pressure: your coverage disappears unless you act right now. Real agencies give you time to think.
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Red flag 02 Caller ID spoofing: the screen can show Medicare, a hospital, or a plan name, but caller ID is a costume, not proof of who is calling.
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Red flag 03 Demands for your Medicare, Social Security, or bank numbers. No legitimate caller needs your full card number over the phone.
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Red flag 04 Requests for payment by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency. No real government program is ever paid that way.
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Red flag 05 A 'new card' fee. Medicare has never charged for your card and never will.
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Red flag 06 Too-good-to-be-true free equipment, tests, or screenings that only need your Medicare number.
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Red flag 07 Look-alike web addresses and ads that spoof Medicare.gov and Healthcare.gov.
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Red flag 08 Demands to decide immediately, with no chance to check the plan, the agent, or the offer first.
What to do if a scam call finds you
If a call, a text, or a knock does find you this open enrollment season, you already have a plan. These six moves keep you calm, in control, and one step ahead:
01
Hang up
You never owe a stranger a conversation, an explanation, or a goodbye. Ending the call is always the right move.
02
Never share your Medicare number
Your Medicare number is the keys to your coverage. No caller who asks for it over the phone is legitimate, full stop.
03
Call Medicare to verify
Call 1-800-MEDICARE, the number printed on your own card, and ask directly if anything about your coverage really changed.
04
Call Florida SHINE
Florida's free SHINE counselors answer questions about Medicare plans, enrollment, and bills, with no sales pitch attached. The Elder Helpline is 1-800-963-5337.
05
Report it
File a report with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov, call the Florida Attorney General's fraud hotline at 1-866-9-NO-SCAM, and let your local sheriff's office know. Reports protect you and the next person.
06
Tell a trusted person
A family member, a neighbor, a banker, or a counselor sees the script from the outside. Sharing the story is the fastest way to see the truth.
Where to report a Medicare scam in Florida
Reporting a scam is not about embarrassment; it is about protection. Every report helps the agencies see the pattern and stop the next attempt. These are the verified places to go:
Frequently asked questions about Medicare open enrollment scams
Quick, honest answers to the questions Florida seniors and their families ask me most. Tap a question to open the answer.
01 How can I tell if a Medicare call is real?
Real Medicare representatives never call to pressure you, demand your Medicare number, or threaten to cancel your coverage. Medicare starts official business by mail and through your online account, and it never asks for payment by gift card, wire, or crypto. When in doubt, hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE yourself on the number printed on your own card.
02 Is Medicare issuing a new card I have to pay for?
No. Medicare is not issuing a card you have to pay for, and Medicare never charges for your Medicare card, ever. Anyone who asks for a fee or your card number to send a new card is running a scam.
03 What should I do if I already gave my Medicare number to a scammer?
Act quickly and without shame, because scammers are professionals who rehearse every line. Call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE to flag your account, watch your Medicare Summary Notices for charges you did not authorize, and report the incident to the FTC and your local sheriff’s office. If you also shared bank information, contact your bank right away.
04 Where do I report a Medicare scam in Florida?
Report to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov, call the Florida Attorney General's fraud hotline at 1-866-9-NO-SCAM, and file with your local sheriff's office, including the Palm Beach County and Indian River County sheriffs. Florida seniors can also call the Department of Elder Affairs Elder Helpline at 1-800-963-5337 to reach free SHINE counselors.
05 How do I check that a Medicare plan or agent is legitimate?
Verify every plan on the official Medicare site at medicare.gov, and confirm any agent through Medicare's own tools or your state's license lookup before you switch. Real plans and agents put offers in writing, give you time to compare, and never demand an immediate decision or an upfront payment.
Follow the full Senior Scams series
This is Story 1 of the Senior Scams series: a new, real-world scam warning published daily for Florida seniors and the families who love them. Every story names the trick, shows how it plays out, and ends with the move that stops it.
Bookmark the hub and check it daily. Each new story adds a new layer of armor, from the eight classic scam types to the red flags that give every script away.
Buying, selling, senior transitions, and life changes across the Treasure Coast to South Florida, all written like a conversation with someone who has been there.
Before you change anything this season
Talk it through with someone who protects Florida families
Michael “Wiz” Wisniewski is a Certified Real Estate Planning Advisor who works with Florida seniors and their families every day. Bring any call, text, or plan that felt off, and leave with a clear next step. Free 15-minute strategy call, no pressure, no obligation.
About the Author
Michael "Wiz" Wisniewski
Michael "Wiz" Wisniewski is The Life Transition Specialist with The Complete Real Estate Team, powered by Dalton Wade Real Estate, serving clients from the Treasure Coast to South Florida. A Certified Real Estate Planning Advisor, Certified Life Transition Specialist, and Certified A.I. Real Estate Advisor, he has worked nearly every side of real estate: fix-and-flip investing, land development, home building, and property management, and guides families through life's transitions with care, honesty, and the Golden Rule.
Certified Real Estate Planning Advisor | Certified Life Transition Specialist | Certified A.I. Real Estate Advisor
Written by
Michael Wisniewski, The Wizard of Real Estate
Certified Real Estate Planning Advisor | Certified Life Transition Specialist | Certified A.I. Real Estate Advisor
Helping Florida families protect what matters most.
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