Why it’s suspicious: Scammers often impersonate agencies like the IRS, Social Security Administration, or Medicare to intimidate people into giving up personal information or money.
Legitimate government agencies almost never contact you out of the blue via phone, email, or text—especially not to demand immediate action or payment.
What to do:
Why it’s a scam: No legitimate government health program, including Medicare or the Health Insurance Marketplace, will call and ask for payment over the phone or threaten to cancel your coverage if you don’t pay immediately.
Scammers use fear and urgency to trick you into giving credit card numbers, bank info, or Social Security numbers.
Reality check: Medicare cards are free. HealthCare.gov (Marketplace) will not cold-call or ask for money to “renew” or “verify” coverage.
What to do:
Why it raises concerns: Legitimate insurance agents usually contact you only after you’ve shown interest—by filling out a form, requesting a quote, or attending an info session.
Unsolicited calls should always prompt caution, especially if they involve pressure to act quickly or provide personal info.
Important exception: Cold-calling is legal in some cases. Agents might contact people who recently turned 65, retired, had a major life event, or had their info purchased/shared from third-party lists.
What to do:
Why it’s a red flag: A legitimate insurance agent should clearly explain what a plan covers, how much it costs, and any limitations or exclusions.
If they avoid your questions, change the subject, or refuse to provide written materials or a website, walk away – they may be hiding something.
What a trustworthy agent should do:
What to do:
Call Hawaii SHIP for help navigating Medicare. Like SMP Hawaii, Hawaii SHIP is a federally funded, volunteer-based program administered by the Hawaii Department of Health, Executive Office on Aging. They offer:
Why it’s dangerous: Legitimate health insurance applications will never ask for sensitive financial details (like your Social Security number, bank account info, or credit card number) just to provide a quote.
Scammers often use fake websites or fake agents to harvest personal data for identity theft or financial fraud.
What’s actually needed: To get a price quote, you typically only need to share:
What to do:
This project was supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $320,449 with 100 percent funding by ACL/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS or the U.S. Government.
