1. Medicare & Health Insurance Scams 📞

Scammers pose as Medicare representatives, claiming they need to verify your personal information or issue a new card. They may ask for:

❌ Your Medicare number

❌ Your Social Security number

❌ A payment for a fake service

🔹 How to Stay Safe: Medicare will NEVER call you unexpectedly. If you receive a suspicious call, hang up and call Medicare directly at 1-800-MEDICARE.

2. Social Security Scams ⚠️

A scammer may call pretending to be from the Social Security Administration (SSA), saying:

❌ Your Social Security number has been suspended

❌ You owe money and must pay immediately

❌ You will lose benefits unless you provide information

🔹 How to Stay Safe: The SSA will never threaten or demand immediate payments over the phone. If in doubt, call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213.

3. Grandparent Scams 👴👵

This emotional scam involves a caller pretending to be your grandchild or a lawyer claiming your grandchild is in trouble. They may say:

❌ They have been arrested and need bail money

❌ They had an accident and need emergency funds

❌ They need gift cards or wire transfers immediately

🔹 How to Stay Safe: Always verify the story by calling your family members directly. Never send money or gift cards to someone you haven’t confirmed.

4. IRS & Tax Scams 🏛️

Scammers pretend to be from the IRS, claiming you owe back taxes and must pay immediately. They may:

❌ Threaten arrest or legal action

❌ Demand gift cards, wire transfers, or Bitcoin

❌ Spoof the caller ID to appear as “IRS”

🔹 How to Stay Safe: The IRS never calls demanding payment. If you get a call like this, hang up and contact the IRS directly at 1-800-829-1040.

5. Tech Support Scams 💻

A scammer may call claiming to be from Microsoft, Apple, or another tech company, saying:

❌ Your computer has a virus

❌ They need remote access to fix the issue

❌ You must pay for a fake software update

🔹 How to Stay Safe: No legitimate tech company will call you unexpectedly. If you need support, contact the company directly through their official website.

6. Fake Charity Scams ❤️

Scammers often take advantage of seniors' generosity by creating fake charity calls related to:

❌ Natural disasters

❌ Veterans or police organizations

❌ Medical emergencies

🔹 How to Stay Safe: Verify charities by checking sites like CharityNavigator.org before donating. Never give money over the phone.

7. Lottery & Prize Scams 🎉

A caller may claim you’ve won a lottery, sweepstakes, or contest, but you must:

❌ Pay taxes or fees upfront

❌ Provide banking details for the “prize transfer”

❌ Act immediately or “lose” your winnings

🔹 How to Stay Safe: If you didn’t enter a contest, you didn’t win. Real lotteries never require payment to claim a prize.