Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do if I already gave my information to a scammer?

Time is of the essence. If you provided banking information, contact your financial institution immediately to freeze your accounts and dispute any unauthorized transfers. If you gave out your Social Security number, contact the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) to place a fraud alert or freeze on your credit report. Report the incident to your local police and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Can I get my money back if I paid a scammer?

Recovery depends entirely on the payment method used. If you paid with a credit card, you have strong protections and can likely initiate a successful chargeback. If you used a wire transfer, mailed cash, sent cryptocurrency, or provided gift card numbers, the money is unfortunately almost always gone permanently. Criminals move these funds to offshore accounts within minutes.

Does Medicare ever call you unexpectedly?

No. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will not call you out of the blue to demand personal information, threaten to cancel your benefits, or offer you free medical equipment. They communicate primarily through official mail. The only time a legitimate representative might call is if you specifically requested a callback or if you are already engaged in an ongoing appeal or case.

How can I stop scam robocalls from reaching my phone?

While you cannot stop them entirely, you can significantly reduce the volume. Register your phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry. More importantly, contact your cellular provider to ensure they have activated their free network-level spam blocking tools. Additionally, consider downloading a reputable third-party call-blocking application designed to filter out known scam numbers before your phone even rings.

Maintaining your financial security during retirement requires ongoing vigilance. Fraudsters continuously adapt their tactics, utilizing new technologies to make their schemes more convincing. By familiarizing yourself with these 10 common frauds, you build a resilient mindset capable of deflecting manipulation. Share this information with your friends, family members, and community groups. Open conversations about fraud remove the stigma and drastically reduce the power these criminals hold over older adults.

This is educational content based on general retirement and financial principles. Individual results vary based on your situation. Always verify current benefit rules, tax laws, and eligibility requirements with official sources like SSA, Medicare.gov, or the IRS.

Last updated: March 2026. Retirement benefits, tax rules, and healthcare regulations change frequently—verify current details with official sources.