Protect your Medicare number and your Social Security Number

Protect your Medicare card, Medicare number, Social Security card, and Social Security Number in a highly secure location and keep them as confidential as possible. Don’t share your Medicare number—or your Social Security number—with anyone who contacts you unexpectedly. Only give it as needed to trusted and legitimate healthcare or health insurance representatives whom you contacted first. See this list of tips for more tips.

Review your Medicare Summary Notices for any errors

Compare that with your known appointments and tests. Use a calendar to record all of your doctor's appointments and any tests you get. Report anything suspicious to Medicare.

• Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.
• Call the fraud hotline of the Department of Health & Human Services Offices of the Inspector General at
  1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477). TTY users can call
  1-800-377-4950.
• Visit tips.oig.hhs.gov to file a complaint online.

Protect yourself from identity theft

• Shred anything with personal information on it including bills, credit card statements, pre-approved credit offers, outdated Medicare cards and others.
• Be cautious of "phishing" emails or text messages from scammers pretending to be financial institutions or companies. If you receive a suspicious email asking you to reset your account or to click on a suspicious link, contact the sending organization directly.
• If someone calls you and asks for personal information over the phone, hang up immediately.

Guard your Medicare card like it's a credit card

• Medicare will never call you unless you've asked and given them permission in advance. Medicare already has your personal information.
• Medicare will never call you to sell you anything.
• You may get calls from people promising you things if you give them a Medicare number. Don't do it.
• Medicare will never visit you at your home.
• Medicare can't enroll you over the phone unless you called first.

Adapted with info from Medicare.gov.