ust as Ohioans can start looking for health insurance on the federal government’s online marketplace, Ohio officials are warning consumers to be aware of phone scammers attempting to turn a profit.
Scams take advantage of some of the most confusing details of the Affordable Care Act, Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor said in a press release.
“The Ohio Department of Insurance has been made aware of attempts to scam Ohioans by capitalizing on confusion around federal health care,” Taylor said. “No one from an official government program should be calling you requesting your personal information.”
As of press time, Athens Police have not received any reports of scammers targeting Athens residents, Lt. Jeff McCall said.
The official online marketplace, often commonly referred to as exchanges, only opened today. But scammers have been claiming to help walk people through the registration process for weeks, stealing their information in the process.
Other scammers are claiming to be Medicare representatives who want personal information for an updated Medicare card, according to the Department of Insurance release.
“If you are contacted by a suspicious caller, do not provide your personal information, including your Medicare, Social Security and bank account numbers,” Taylor said.
Those who believe to have been contacted by a scammer should call local authorities, the Ohio Department of Insurance at 1-800-686-1527 or report it at www.insurance.ohio.gov.
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@LucasDaprile
