A call claiming Medicare needs you to 'verify' your Medicare or Social Security number to issue a new card, activate benefits, or avoid losing coverage is a scam. Paste any letter you got for a read.
Quick answer — No. Medicare never cold-calls asking you to confirm your Medicare or Social Security number, and new cards come automatically without a fee or verification call. Such a call is a scam — don't share your numbers.
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Why it's a scam
Medicare doesn't cold-call you to ask for your Medicare Number, Social Security number, or bank details — it already has your information, and new cards are sent automatically with no fee and no verification call. Scammers use the promise of a 'new plastic or chip card' or threats of lost coverage to harvest the numbers they need for medical-identity theft and fraudulent billing. Anyone pressuring you to confirm these on a call is a thief.
What to do
Don't confirm your Medicare, Social Security, or bank numbers to an unexpected caller. Hang up. If you have a real question about coverage, call 1-800-MEDICARE using the number on your card or Medicare.gov. Report the call to 1-800-MEDICARE and the FTC, and guard your Medicare Number like a credit card.
If you already paid or shared your info
Don't panic — acting quickly limits the damage. Do these now:
Paid by gift card, wire, prepaid card, or crypto? Contact the issuer or service right away — some payments can still be stopped — and keep the receipts.
Gave your SSN or bank details? Start a recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov and consider a credit freeze with the three bureaus.
Report the impersonation to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov, and (for IRS impersonation) to TIGTA at tigta.gov.
Remember: a real agency would not have demanded gift cards or threatened arrest — so it's safe to stop and verify before doing anything more.
FAQ
Does Medicare call to verify your number?
No. Medicare never cold-calls asking you to confirm your Medicare or Social Security number, and new cards come automatically without a fee or verification call. Such a call is a scam — don't share your numbers.
What if I gave my Medicare number to a scammer?
Watch your Medicare Summary Notices for charges you don't recognize and report them to 1-800-MEDICARE. Visit IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan. Medical-identity theft can take time to surface, so keep checking.
Official sources
This guidance is compiled from official U.S. government sources. For your specific situation, verify directly: