We are most vulnerable to being scammed when we’re desperate, and many of us are desperately drowning in medical bills. If you get a call claiming to be from a hospital or government agency offering to cover your medical bills for free, this is not a lifeline, it’s a trap.
Don’t let the stress of medical bills lure you into even deeper costs. Stay skeptical, stay safe.
If someone you don’t know contacts you offering to pay your medical bills, resist the urge to jump for joy.
Yes, there are government and non-profit organization programs that will help you pay your medical bills, but they will NOT ask you to pay anything up front, and they will NOT ask you for your banking or credit card information. You can find these through your medical provider and on LEGITIMATE government websites through the state, the city, or the county.
Medical bill pay scams target those who need relief from medical debt the most – which is in reality most of us. Medical bills are crushing Americans across the board, regardless of how good our insurance coverage is. That’s why this scam which has recently reared its head on the East Coast of the US doesn’t seem to have a clear target. It is a phone scam that goes by locality, targeting everyone in an area regardless of whether or not they’ve had medical treatment.
When a target answers the phone, the con artist will say they are from a local hospital and are offering to help reorganize or pay medical bills. In order to do this, they will ask you for your banking or credit card information under the guise of setting up a payment plan. Of course, this is just a phishing scheme.
Sometimes, you will even see that a bill has been paid, but the scammer will promptly cancel the payment and you will be left with that bill plus any additional late fees. Not to mention the scammer will have your banking or credit card information.
Don’t fall for a medical bill pay scam! Con artists play on desperation. Even if you are drowning in medical bills, never trust an offer that sounds too good to be true.
If you’ve fallen victim to a medical scam or have a sneaking suspicion that a mysterious benefactor isn’t who they claim to be, contact Mignolet@bellsouth.net for a consultation.