Medicare Insurance Fraud Targets Seniors - Senior Medicare Scam Alert By Amber Hauptman

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With all of the concerns about Medicare insurance, Medigap policies (Medicare supplement plans), and Medicare supplement rates, seniors have enough to worry about without having to worry about getting scammed. Unfortunately, fraud is out there, and it?s a topic we keep having to come back to. We?ve seen senior lottery scams, credit card scams, and more, but now there are even scams targeting seniors that involve Medicare insurance. One of the best ways to protect yourself is simply to be aware of the ways that thieves are trying to target seniors.

"Beware of a phone call from someone claiming to be a representative of Medicare. In reality they're just trying to steal your identity. West Virginia Attorney General Darrell McGraw has raised the warning, saying he's received reports from citizens of his state, and has learned that seniors in neighboring Kentucky have also been targeted." (from Consumer Affairs)

This Medicare Insurance phone fraud is a variation on credit card frauds we?ve seen in the past, and you can be sure that if it?s taking place in West Virginia and Kentucky, it?s taking place in other states, too. These thieves use the guise of Medicare to get seniors? personal information, which can lead to identity theft, financial theft, and more.

The folks over at Senior Corps have laid out the most basic way you can avoid this Medicare scam and any similar scam that?s going on:

"You can avoid Medicare fraud by not giving your personal information to people who may come to your home or call you on the telephone. You should only give your personal information to those who are approved by Medicare or doctors. If you are not sure if the provider is approved by Medicare or not, then there are toll free numbers that you may call to find out this information. If you lose your card, then you should call to report it. Hotlines are available for you to call to report Medicare fraud. Medicare fraud is a serious crime."

The Federal Bureau of Investigation website says that seniors are less likely to "report a fraud because they don?t know who to report it to, are too ashamed at having been scammed or do not know they have been scammed" Therefore we have provided a list of helpful resources that seniors can use to help identify medicare scams and where to report them.

United States Senate has a Special Committee on Aging with a section devoted to Elder Fraud and Abuse
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services provide a throughough step-by-step process on How to Report a Medicare Fraud
National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse, MetLife, Virginia Tech and Mature Market Institute provide a study on Elder Financial Abuse for 2011
The National Consumer Protection Resource Center Devoted an entire website to Senior Medicare Patrols, with links to a Fraud Prevention Summit, Stop Health Care Fraud video and more.
Insuraprise Publications releases a monthly senior newsletter devoted to providing seniors timely news information regarding senior living, senior scam alerts, financial planning and medicare supplemental plans.

Medicare insurance fraud is a serious crime, and it needs to be reported. If you?ve been a victim (or an attempted victim) of Medicare fraud, you need to alert the proper authorities. A number of seniors never report that they have fallen victim to fraud. It?s understandable why, but one way to ensure that it doesn?t happen to somebody else is to make it known that it has happened to you.

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Skye Bank Customer Alert - Beware Of Hackers By Bob Smith

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One of the features of online/Mobile banking is SMS banking services which are operated using both push and pull messages. Push messages are those that the bank chooses to send out to a customer's mobile phone without the customer initiating a request for the information. For example push messages could be either Mobile marketing messages or messages alerting an event which happens in the customer's bank account, such as a withdrawal of funds from the ATM or a payment using the customer's credit card, etc.

Pull messages are those that are initiated by the customer, using a mobile phone, for obtaining information or performing a transaction in the bank account. Examples of pull messages for information include an account balance enquiry, or requests for current information like currency exchange rates and deposit interest rates, as published and updated by the bank.

The bank's customer is empowered with the capability to select the list of activities (or alerts) that he/she needs to be informed. This functionality to choose activities can be done either by integrating to the internet banking channel or through the bank's customer service call centre.
It is however sad to note that fraudsters and internet hackers have capitalized on this laudable innovation to rip people off their money. So it is important that as a bank account holder or intending holder you should be aware of this trend and choose the right bank to bank with where your money will be properly secured through adequate online security tips.

Skye bank as a customer friendly bank knows about the activities of these fraudstars and has developed security measures to protect its customers finances. If you are a Skye bank account holder, you might receive emails that seem to emanate from the bank.The mail might even carry the names of Skye bank top Management staff or Director. Some of them may require you to send in information on your Bank details, Pin codes and even your personal information as contained in the bank's database of you. They might also claim to have access to large sums of ($)US dollars for you domiciled with the bank. Please note that these are scam mails and you should be very careful to avoid being a victim to fraudsters.

As part of its commitment to online security, Skye bank has developed some security tips for all its customers to recognize when they receive emails or letters from potential fraudsters.

Please note that Skye Bank would never ask you to disclose your account number or Pin code on the internet. Also Skye Bank would never ask you to disclose personal information on the internet.

You should also note that Skye Bank site would always carry a security certificate which would be visible on access to the bank's site and be sure that the site you are on is a genuine Skye Bank site.

In addition Customers should not open attachments or follow Web links in unsolicited emails from unknown parties or from parties with whom you do not normally communicate, or that appear to be known but are suspicious or otherwise unusual.

The official Skye Bank web address is www.skyebankng.com. If you are still in doubt, please get in touch with your nearest branch or call us on (000 234 1) 8531655, 8948103, 07028390633-5

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