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Scammers Exploit Affordable Care Act Confusion

scam BSedona AZ (October 7, 2013) – Consumers across the U.S. are reporting phone calls that claim to be from the government about new health insurance cards required by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning consumers this is a scam, and expected to grow as the October 1 implementation date for the Health Insurance Marketplace approaches.

“Con artists are taking advantage of people’s confusion about what exactly the Affordable Care Act means,” said Carrie A. Hurt, President and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. “Scammers’ favorite tools are confusion and fear.”

“This is the latest twist on the ‘Medicare scam’ BBB has seen for years,” Hurt added. “Whenever there is a new government program or new public policy, fraudsters try to take advantage of people, but the simple fact is there is no Affordable Care card; it’s a scam.”

BBB has issued several alerts warning consumers about scams related to “Obamacare,” but is stepping up efforts as the implementation date approaches.

How the scam works: You receive a call from someone claiming to be from the federal government. The caller informs you that you have been selected as part of the initial group of Americans to receive insurance cards through the new Affordable Care Act. However, before the caller can mail your card, they need to verify personal information such as bank account and Social Security numbers.

identity id theft 2BBB urges consumers to ignore these pitches and use the following precautions when dealing with Affordable Care Act scams:

· Protect your identity. Never give personal information to someone who has contacted you unsolicited, whether by phone, email, social media or in person.

· Hang up, don’t press any buttons and don’t call back. Returning the phone call may just give the con artist information to use.

· Remember the government uses regular mail. Government agencies normally communicate through the mail, so be cautious of calls, text messages or emails.

· Don’t trust caller ID. Scammers have technology that allows them display any number or organization name on your screen.

id theft 5· Keep personal information to yourself. Never give out personal information such as credit card numbers, bank account numbers, dates of birth or Social Security numbers to unfamiliar callers.

For more information on the Affordable Care Act and the Health Insurance Marketplace, go to healthcare.gov. For more tips you can trust, visit arizonabbb.org.

To Report a Scam or sign up for BBB Scam Alerts, go to bbb.org/scam.

For more information or to schedule an interview with a BBB spokesperson, contact Mary Hawkes at 928-772-3410 or email mhawkes@arizonabbb.org.

For the best in Arizona news and views, read www.SedonaEye.com daily!

For the best in Arizona news and views, read www.SedonaEye.com daily!

3 Comments

  1. Shannon says:

    Hey Everybodeeeeeee…print this out & hand it to gullible people & old people & put it up in senior centers. Do your part to keep somebody from being ripped off!!!!!

  2. liked this on Facebook.

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