Medicare’s annual open enrollment period runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7.

As beneficiaries and new enrollees review their health and prescription drug coverage and options, criminals may pose as Medicare representatives or Medicare Advantage agents and try to steal Medicare numbers, financial or other personal information.

Know two things: unsolicited contact about Medicare is highly suspicious, and Medicare will never contact you out of the blue.

For helpful resources on enrollment and open season, check out medicare.gov, aarp.org/medicare or your State Health Insurance Assistance Program, a federally funded resource with trained counselors that can answer your questions in person, online or by phone. Search online for help at shiphelp.org/SHIPs or call 877-839-2675.

Learn how to spot and avoid scams with AARP Fraud Watch Network™. Suspect a scam? Call our free helpline at 877-908-3360 and talk to one of our fraud specialists about what to do next. 

Need a scam prevention speaker for your group? Send an email to me@aarp.org.