FTC Warns About Scam Tied To Affordable Care Act

It’s barely been two weeks since the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the most controversial portion of the Affordable Care Act, and scammers have already been busy on the phone trying to steal folks’ money by pretending they work for the government and need your sensitive, personal information.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, scammers call people up and identify themselves as federal employees. The callers say that, as per a completely fictional condition in the Affordable Care Act, they need to verify some personal information.

“They might have the routing number from your bank, and then use that information to get you to reveal the entire account number,” writes the FTC. “Or, they’ll ask for your credit card or Social Security number, Medicare ID, or other personal information.”

These people do not work for the government and are just trying to commit fraud via identity theft.

“If someone who claims to be from the government calls and asks for your personal information, hang up,” says the FTC. “It’s a scam.”

With the information they ask for, they could run up charges on your credit cards, debit money from your checking account, open new credit card, checking, or savings accounts, write fraudulent checks, or take out loans in your name.

If you get one of these calls, hang up and file a complaint at ftc.gov or call 1-877-FTC-HELP. You also can file a complaint with your state’s Attorney General’s office.

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