The Tool Desk
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What to do immediately
- Stop the interaction. Hang up on an unsolicited call. Do not reply to a text or email, click its links, scan a code, call a number in the message, cash or send money from a suspicious check, or follow instructions to “verify” your Medicare information.
- Do not disclose information. Do not give a Medicare number, Social Security number, date of birth, bank details, passwords, one-time codes, or other personal information to the contact. Medicare advises against sharing a Medicare number with someone who contacts you unless you initiated the contact and gave permission.
- Reach Medicare independently. For an unsolicited call asking for information or money, or threatening that benefits will be canceled, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) yourself. Medicare says it will not call uninvited to request personal or private information.
- Preserve the details. Keep the message, envelope, check, caller ID, voicemail, email headers, and screenshots. Write down what happened while it is fresh.
- Report the contact. Use Medicare or the HHS OIG routes below. A suspicious check does not have a separate reporting number; use the same general fraud channels.
A suspicious contact is not automatically proven fraud. Reporting gives the appropriate agency factual information to assess it; do not wait for certainty before reporting a reasonable concern.
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Is this call really from Medicare?
Medicare’s practical rule is straightforward: it will not make an uninvited call asking for personal or private information. A caller who demands a Medicare number, asks for payment, pressures you to act immediately, or threatens cancellation of benefits should be treated as suspicious.
Warning signs that require a pause
- The contact was unexpected and you did not give Medicare permission to call.
- The caller asks you to read back your Medicare number or other identifying information.
- You are told to pay a fee, send money, buy a gift card, or transfer funds to keep coverage.
- The caller uses a threat, such as immediate loss of benefits, to prevent you from checking independently.
- The message directs you to a link, QR code, telephone number, or email address supplied by the sender for “verification.”
- A check or letter promises money but requires you to return part of it, pay a processing charge, or disclose banking information.
Caller ID, logos, copied letterhead, and a familiar-sounding name do not establish that a contact is genuine. End the interaction and use the published Medicare number rather than a number supplied by the contact. If you are unsure, you do not have to decide whether the sender is a real government employee before asking Medicare through its official number.
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How do I report a suspicious Medicare call?
- Hang up. Do not argue with the caller or disclose additional information. A short call is enough; you do not need to keep the person talking to collect evidence.
- Record the facts. Note the date and time, number displayed, number the caller gave you, the caller’s name and claimed organization, what was requested, and any deadline or threat. If you do not know a detail, mark it as unknown rather than guessing.
- Call Medicare directly. Dial 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). For TTY service, use 1-877-486-2048.
- Choose OIG as an additional fraud-reporting route. Call the HHS OIG hotline at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477); TTY users can call 1-800-377-4950. You can also submit a report online at tips.oig.hhs.gov.
- Provide a factual account. Explain who contacted you, what was said, when and where it happened, why it appeared suspicious, and how the contact occurred. Include the person’s or company’s name, address, and phone number when available.
If you are reporting to Medicare by phone, the CMS fraud guidance says to have your Medicare card or number and the relevant claim or Medicare Summary Notice available. That information is for the official Medicare conversation you initiated; it is not a reason to give the number to the suspicious caller. You can explain that the caller requested information even if you refused to provide it.
How do I report a Medicare scam text, email, or other message?
Text messages
Do not reply, click, scan, or call from the text. Take screenshots that show the sender, full message, links, and date or time. Save the message in its original form if your device allows it. Then call Medicare or OIG using the independently dialed numbers above and describe the message. Include the telephone number or short code shown by the sender and the destination of any link, without opening it again. If the message contains a reference number or deadline, copy it exactly into your notes.
Do not open attachments or use the “unsubscribe” link in a suspicious email. Preserve the subject line, sender address, date, message body, and any attachment name. If your email service can display full headers, retain them because they may help identify the sender. Report the conduct to Medicare or OIG; the OIG online route is tips.oig.hhs.gov. Do not forward the email to an address supplied inside it unless an official agency independently confirms that destination.
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Keep the letter, envelope, postmark, return address, and any enclosed form. For a social-media or portal message, capture the account name, profile address as displayed, message, and timestamp. Do not continue the conversation to gather more evidence. Report what you already received. A copied Medicare logo or government-style formatting should be described as part of the message, not treated as proof that it came from Medicare.
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What should I do if I get a suspicious Medicare check?
There is no separate official hotline identified specifically for suspicious checks. Treat the check as a possible Medicare-fraud contact and use the general Medicare or OIG reporting routes.
- Do not respond to the sender. Do not send a portion of the check, pay a fee, provide bank details, or disclose your Medicare number in order to receive or “activate” funds.
- Do not rely on the check’s appearance. A government-style name, seal, phone number, or letterhead does not prove authenticity.
- Preserve the evidence. Keep the check and all accompanying paperwork. Photograph or scan both sides and retain the envelope and postmark.
- Write down the requested action. Record any instructions to deposit the check, wire money, buy cards, contact an agent, or return information.
- Report it. Call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or OIG at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477), or file online at tips.oig.hhs.gov.
The official guidance provides general fraud channels rather than a check-specific number. Describe the check and the requested action clearly so the receiving agency can route the concern appropriately. Do not assume that an initial bank credit proves the check is genuine; rely on instructions from the official reporting channel instead.
Which official reporting route should I use?
CMS’s July 2024 “4R’s for Fighting Medicare Fraud” factsheet lists Medicare and OIG contacts and identifies I-MEDIC as an additional option for certain plan members. The choice is mainly about intake channel and coverage situation, not a promised difference in response time or result.
| Situation | Route | What to have or know |
|---|---|---|
| General suspected Medicare fraud | Medicare: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) TTY: 1-877-486-2048 |
Have your Medicare card or number and the relevant claim or Medicare Summary Notice ready when calling Medicare, as CMS instructs. |
| Fraud report to HHS OIG | 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477) TTY: 1-800-377-4950 Online: tips.oig.hhs.gov |
Use for a factual report about a suspicious call, message, check, billing issue, or other suspected fraud. |
| Medicare Advantage or Medicare drug-plan concern | I-MEDIC: 1-877-772-3379 | Medicare identifies I-MEDIC as an additional option for members of Medicare Advantage or Medicare drug plans. |
| Unsure whether an unsolicited call is legitimate | Hang up, then call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) | Do not use a callback number supplied by the caller or message. |
You may use more than one official route if that is useful. For example, you can contact Medicare to verify a concern and also submit the facts to OIG. Do not describe one route as a guaranteed escalation of another; the official pages do not promise a particular response time or outcome.
What information should I include in a report?
CMS guidance organizes a useful report around who, what, when, where, why, and how. Give the facts you know and label anything uncertain rather than guessing. A simple timeline is often easier for an intake specialist to use than a long narrative.
Who
- The caller, sender, person, or company name used.
- The organization the person claimed to represent.
- Any address, telephone number, email address, account name, or return address supplied.
What
- The exact request: Medicare number, payment, banking information, a callback, a code, or a signature.
- The words used to describe benefits, a claim, a check, or an alleged problem.
- Any amount, deadline, threat, reference number, URL, attachment, or check number.
When and where
- Date and approximate time, including your time zone if relevant.
- Whether the contact was by telephone, voicemail, text, email, letter, check, web form, or another channel.
- Where you received it and whether anyone else witnessed the interaction.
Why and how
- Why it seemed suspicious—for example, it was unsolicited, demanded money, or threatened cancellation.
- How you responded: whether you hung up, clicked, replied, disclosed information, or sent money.
- What evidence you retained, such as screenshots, recordings where lawfully made, documents, or claim notices.
Do not embellish the account or create evidence. A clear timeline and the contact details actually available are more useful than speculation. If you have a Medicare Summary Notice or claim connected to the contact, identify it and have it available when speaking with Medicare.
What if I already shared information?
Tell Medicare or OIG exactly what you disclosed when you report. State whether you provided a Medicare number, Social Security number, date of birth, bank information, a password, a one-time code, or payment details, and when the disclosure occurred. If you clicked a link, downloaded an attachment, replied, or deposited a check, include that fact too. Do not conceal an uncomfortable detail; it helps the receiving agency understand the incident.
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Continue to use only independently obtained official contact details for follow-up. A later caller who claims to be “investigating” the first contact may be another attempt to obtain information. Do not forward personal documents to an address supplied by the original sender unless an official agency independently confirms the destination. When reporting, distinguish what you know from what the sender merely claimed.
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Common mistakes that can make a scam worse
- Calling back the displayed number. Caller ID can be misleading. Dial Medicare’s published number yourself.
- Answering “just one question.” Even a small piece of personal information can help a fraudster sound credible later.
- Using a link in the message to report it. The link may lead to a look-alike form. Type tips.oig.hhs.gov yourself or use the OIG telephone number.
- Throwing away the evidence. The envelope, caller number, message header, and exact wording can be important.
- Assuming a check is safe because a bank accepts it initially. Report the contact and follow instructions from the appropriate official channel rather than relying on appearance or an initial account credit.
- Reporting only the threat and omitting the contact details. Include the name, address, phone number, account, or other identifier supplied when available.
- Guessing at missing details. State that a number, name, or time is unknown instead of filling in an assumption.
- Continuing the conversation to test the sender. You can preserve what you already received without exposing more information or creating another opportunity for pressure.
Accessible options and plan-specific help
Medicare’s TTY number is 1-877-486-2048. The HHS OIG TTY number is 1-800-377-4950. If you receive coverage through Medicare Advantage or a Medicare drug plan, I-MEDIC at 1-877-772-3379 is an additional reporting option identified by Medicare. You do not need to decide that a contact is definitively fraudulent before asking an official channel how to report it. When using a phone route, keep your notes and relevant claim documents nearby so you can give a consistent account.
What happens after you report?
The official pages identify where to submit a concern and what information is useful, but they do not promise a particular response time, investigation result, or follow-up. Keep your own copy of the report details, the date you contacted the agency, and any confirmation shown by an online submission. If someone contacts you later about the same incident, verify that person through a published official number rather than trusting a callback number or email address in the new message.
A concise reporting checklist
- Did I stop communicating with the suspicious sender?
- Did I avoid giving the sender my Medicare number, personal information, or money?
- Did I save the message, check, envelope, voicemail, caller ID, or screenshots?
- Did I write down who, what, when, where, why, and how?
- Did I call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), OIG at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477), or use tips.oig.hhs.gov?
- If I have Medicare Advantage or a Medicare drug plan, did I consider I-MEDIC at 1-877-772-3379?
- If I disclosed anything, did I tell the official agency exactly what, when, and how?
These steps apply whether the contact arrived as a call, text, email, letter, check, or another message. The safest sequence is always to end the unsolicited contact, preserve what you received, and report through an official route you reached independently.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I report a suspicious Medicare call?
Hang up and call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), or report suspected fraud to HHS OIG at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477) or tips.oig.hhs.gov. Do not call back using the number shown by the caller.
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How do I report a Medicare scam text or email?
Do not reply, click links, scan codes, or open attachments. Save screenshots or the original email details, then describe the message to Medicare or HHS OIG using the independently obtained official contact information.
What should I do with a suspicious Medicare check?
Do not deposit it, send money back, pay a fee, or provide bank or Medicare information. Keep the check, envelope, and instructions, then report it through Medicare or HHS OIG; there is no separate check-specific number identified.
Is this call really from Medicare?
Medicare says it will not call uninvited to request personal or private information. If an unexpected caller asks for information or money or threatens benefits, hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE yourself.
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What details should I have ready when reporting?
Use who, what, when, where, why, and how. Include the person or company name, claimed organization, address and phone number when available, the request or threat, and any related claim or Medicare Summary Notice.
Can Medicare Advantage or Part D members use another route?
Yes. Medicare identifies I-MEDIC at 1-877-772-3379 as an additional option for Medicare Advantage and Medicare drug-plan concerns.
What if I already gave the caller information?
Report exactly what you disclosed, when you disclosed it, and whether you clicked, replied, downloaded an attachment, sent money, or deposited a check. Continue follow-up only through independently verified official contact details.
The Bottom Line
Stop, save, and report. Do not give an unsolicited Medicare contact information or money. Preserve the call, message, letter, or check; write down who, what, when, where, why, and how; then contact Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE, HHS OIG at 1-800-HHS-TIPS or tips.oig.hhs.gov, or I-MEDIC at 1-877-772-3379 if you have Medicare Advantage or a Medicare drug plan.
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