TL;DR: Open enrollment periods, typically in the fall, bring a wave of scams because people are actively comparing health plans and are used to receiving unsolicited calls and mailers about coverage during this window. Only enroll through the official marketplace website or a licensed agent you contacted first, and never give personal identifiers to someone who called you unprompted.
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Open enrollment periods, typically in the fall, bring a wave of scams because people are actively comparing health plans and are used to receiving unsolicited calls and mailers about coverage during this window.
How the Scam Plays Out
Callers posing as insurance agents pressure people into disclosing Medicare or Social Security numbers to 'verify eligibility' for a plan, or sign them up for a policy they never agreed to in order to collect a commission.
How to Protect Yourself
Only enroll through the official marketplace website or a licensed agent you contacted first, and never give personal identifiers to someone who called you unprompted.
If this looks similar to something else you've seen, it's worth reading Pre-Holiday Package Theft and Porch Piracy.
This pattern shows up elsewhere too — see Prime Day and Flash Sale Scams.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does this typically happen?
Open enrollment periods, typically in the fall, bring a wave of scams because people are actively comparing health plans and are used to receiving unsolicited calls and mailers about coverage during this window.
What tactics are used?
Callers posing as insurance agents pressure people into disclosing Medicare or Social Security numbers to 'verify eligibility' for a plan, or sign them up for a policy they never agreed to in order to collect a commission.
How can I protect myself?
Only enroll through the official marketplace website or a licensed agent you contacted first, and never give personal identifiers to someone who called you unprompted.
What should I do if I’ve already been targeted?
Stop all payments immediately, contact your bank or card issuer to see if a transaction can be reversed or flagged, and report the incident to the appropriate consumer protection body.