SCAMS TO AVOID: WATCH OUT FOR THESE

TRUE:  Medicare is sending out new Medicare cards beginning April 2018.  If your address on file is correct, you don't need to do anything.

FALSE:  Medicare or Social Security will NOT contact you to get personal information before sending out the new cards.  They will not call and ask for your Social Security number, date of birth or Medicare number--they already have this information.  If someone calls you, it is a SCAM.  Do not provide personal or sensitive information over the phone.

On another matter, be careful about fictitious programs offering lots of free benefits or free money just by claiming it.  If you are told about a "Freedom Check" that you can get, there is no such thing.  You will be asked to send in a payment of $49 to $99 for a "newsletter" to explain how to get money.  All you will get, if you are lucky, is a cheap "newsletter."  You won't get any money.  The government, and nobody else, is giving away free money to the public.

If free money was being given away, you would not have to buy a "newsletter" to find out how to claim the money.  This is ridiculous on the surface but thousands have fallen for it.  Beware of any scam that you must send money to before you can claim a benefit.  It's always a scam.

If you have doubts about whether a call or an offer is legitimate, ask for the name of the caller, name of the company, phone number--and then call the local Better Business Bureau to check on the offer.