Local health officials and police are alerting residents to a phone scam targeting Medicare recipients in the Yuma area.
Onvida Health, in partnership with the Yuma Police Department, said scammers are making calls that appear to come from the Yuma Regional Medical Center. Callers falsely claim a Medicare card has expired and ask for personal information to “verify” or “update” records. In some cases, scammers already have limited personal details, making the calls seem legitimate.
“Protecting our patients and community is a top priority, and we want everyone to know that these calls are not coming from our organization,” Marc Chasin, MD, senior vice president and chief information officer at Onvida Health said in a released statement.
Medicare officials emphasize that legitimate representatives will never call to request a card number. Medicare cards do not expire and new cards are mailed directly to members when updates are needed.
The Yuma Police Department urges residents to:
- Avoid sharing personal, financial, or insurance information over the phone unless you initiated the call.
- Be aware that caller ID can be “spoofed” to display a legitimate number.
- Hang up immediately on suspicious calls.
- Report suspicious activity to local law enforcement.
“If you receive one of these calls, do not engage and do not provide any information,” said Lori Franklin, public affairs sergeant at the Yuma Police Department.
Anyone who suspects they have been targeted or has shared personal information is encouraged to contact the Yuma Police Department, Onvida Health’s Cyber Security team at CyberSecurityTeam@onvidahealth.org, 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), or the HHS OIG fraud hotline at 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
Onvida Health and local law enforcement said they remain committed to keeping the community informed and safe from scams.