Medicare Scammer

I got a call today that I gradually figured our was not from Medicare, but some scammer trying to get information out of me. I don't think I have had one before.  They were pretty talented at first, telling me things rather than asking for information.  Medicare was sending new copies of our card.  Had I received my new one? I thought not, so they asked me to take out the card. Did it have a blue bar along the top, and a red bar along the bottom? Oh, that might be the old one then. What year was on the lower right corner?  I should have already smelled a rat.

Was this my original card, or had I previously had to replace it? (It is the original)

Is this the name on your card? (It was, but I noticed my middle initial wasn't in it.)

Is this your address? (Correct address.)

There is a set of letters and numbers just under your name. (Yes)

We need you to verify those to send you the new card. (Okay, my suspicions are suddenly full on.  They are asking me for information.)

They seemed to sense the fish was getting away. If I was suspicious, here was the ID number of the caller, which I could check later. US3137. That "US" is meant to reassure me. Those four digits aren't high enough to be a real government ID number of any sort.  I've seen plenty of ID numbers for plenty of government reasons.  You are going to be up into six digits, maybe more.

She had a distinctively foreign accent, but a hyper-American sounding name, Nancy Clark. (From all the years of studying naming I knew that there weren't going to be 25-year olds named Nancy.  Nancy's are all my age. Okay, okay, maybe there are a few, and maybe in Santo Domingo or something the name is still in fashion.  I'm not going to be absolutist, here. But they are giving me the main Medicare number in case I want to verify this. After I give them this ID number now. I think it's pretty easy to get the main Medicare number.  I am not reassured.)

Then it got fun.  She started pulling out the medium-sized guns: So I was saying I didn't want a new Medicare card? And then the big gun: So I was saying I didn't want Medicare at all anymore? I would laugh at the obviousness of this one, but then I remember the lying bastards have fooled some people with this.

I reported it - I think this was the first time a call to Medicare has gone well and briskly. Usually I find it better to go downtown and talk to live people there. But there, right in the automatic information they reminded me that Medicare would never call and ask for my information over the phone, they would notify me and ask me to call. 

"Nancy Clark" my Aunt Fanny...