Bogus Medicare call targets seniors' bank accounts

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A bogus phone call is targeting Medicare recipients.

The phone rings and the person at the other end of the call pretends to be collecting your private information for Medicare. But Medicare isn't really behind these calls. 

Al Bean and his wife received one of the bogus calls right before Halloween.  The caller first asked them to confirm information like their name and address.

“Then he asked for banking information,” Bean recalled. 

His wife was on the phone and did not fall for the trick.

"Very soon after that he (the caller) terminated the call,” Bean said. 

A Medicare spokesperson told Call For Action these types of calls happen across the country.  They are more common this time of year while seniors sign up for and make changes to their prescription drug coverage. 

"Medicare is never going to call you and ask you for information especially information that we already have in our system about you," said Medicare spokesperson Julie Brookhart. 

If you receive a phone call from someone trying to get personal information for Medicare, you should hang up and immediately report the call to Medicare. The number to call is 800-Medicare or 800-633-4227.  

Bean wants to warn other about this type of phone call that could be potentially harmful to your private information.

"The more we thought about it we realize we probably should let other people know as well. Seniors are targeted, especially this time of year," Bean added.