Description

Caller had an India-type accent and, while she claimed to be calling from my [quiet] doctor's office, it sounded like a telephone boiler room with lots of other voices in the background. Caller ID spoofed my doctor's office which is why I answered. Caller wanted to verify my full name - I have a particular combination on my Medicare account - so this confirmed suspicions. She then wanted to confirm my address and I told her I had not moved. She mentioned my city and I asked her where she was calling from - that she could not be calling locally - and she replied that she was in Georgia but that they "had connections all over the country." She kept trying to tell me that she had a prescription from my doctor related to chronic pain (similar calls before have said they had prescriptions for braces for back and joints and that there was no cost to me; that it would be fully covered by my insurance). I told her I knew this was a scam and that my doctor did not send her a prescription at which point she hung up. I had previously notified my medical office regarding a similar call and the office manager was quite surprised; she was unaware of any other incidents but that may simply indicate that other patients had not felt compelled to notify the medical provider. Since the scammers are masking the phone number and name (presumably from a Medicare physician directory, also detected during similar prior phone calls), I do not have the caller's phone number or other identifying information. Every call (this is about the 6th similar call) has assured me that the device or whatever would be at no cost to me, that it would be fully covered by my insurance. They also claimed to be calling directly from my physician's office but said that my doctor had "sent" them a prescription. I believe one caller acknowledged he was in Texas and today's caller said she was in Georgia. This directly contradicts their introductory statement that they were calling from my physician's office along with the local phone number mask. It appears to be a scam to rip off Medicare only. No one has ever tried to get any $ from me - only information regarding medicare account and physician identity. Because of the phone/contact spoofing, I need to answer the call in case it really is my physician's office. I have no advance way of knowing if this is a scammer until I answer and hear the accent and the noisy call room background.