AARP Scam Alert: Medicare Fraud ravages system

Medicare fraud continues to ravage the program to the tune of billions of dollars a year. And while the cost to the program increases costs for beneficiaries in the form of higher premiums, much more is at stake. Your healthcare history can be affected if someone steals your number and uses it to get treatment that ends up in your file. Also, receiving “Medicare-covered” equipment or tests unknowingly from a scammer can make you ineligible for those services down the road.

The two most important things you can do to help fight Medicare fraud is to never give your Medicare number out to anyone but your trusted health care providers and always review your Medicare statement carefully and report any unauthorized charges.

Western Union refund deadline for claims

If you lost money to a scam that involved wiring money through Western Union between Jan. 1, 2004, and Jan. 19, 2017, you have until July 1 to file a claim for a refund under a settlement between the payment service and the federal government.​

During roughly that time period, wire transfers were the preferred form of payment for criminal scammers and millions of people lost money through coerced transactions. Western Union admitted to lapsed oversight and agreed to forfeit $586 million to provide refunds to consumers who were deceived into using the service to send money to scammers.

If you believe you are eligible but have not been contacted by the administrator, call 855-786-1048 to request a form, or visit http://www.westernunionremissionphase2.com. Only victims who lost money through a Western Union wire transfer between Jan. 1, 2004, and Jan. 19, 2017 are eligible for relief.

Visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at http://www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork or call the AARP Fraud Watch Helpline at 1-877-908-3360.