HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR HELOISE: I recently received a call from a man who said it was his job to inform people of the added benefits of Medicare. I asked what he meant, and he rattled off some incredible nonsense about how I could get “free” dental and vision. All I had to do was send a onetime payment of $100 for the enrollment fee. He said I could use an automatic HELOISE withdrawal if

I gave him my banking information. (You know, to make it easier for me.)

I asked him why there was an enrollment fee when other companies don’t charge that sort of thing, and he said they soon would also be charging fees in order to compete with them.

I immediately sensed this was a scam in the works and told him so. I also said I needed to think about it and asked for a number where I could contact him. He said either I sign up then and there, or this so-called wonderful opportunity would be gone. I hung up on him!

Apparently, the Medicare scammers get busy starting in September because so many people are enrolling for Medicare for the first time or making some changes in their Medicare plan before the end of the year. So, please advise your readers to be very careful when someone calls with this sort of craziness.

— Annie in Memphis DEAR READER: Consider it done! If you feel you’ve been a victim of Medicare scammers, discovered provider care you never received, or saw that a fraudulent claim was made on your behalf, report it to (800) 633-4227 or go to www.medicare.gov/fraud. Never give out any Medicare information to random callers.

DEAR READERS: There are websites out there such as “Spoof My Number” or “SpoofCard” that allow scammers and criminals of any type to “spoof” the name of the caller on the other end of the phone. What that means is that the caller can change their name, so they can use any name they want instead of their real name. Scammers might call you claiming to be from the IRS, the police or even one of your close personal friends. Can you imagine my surprise at getting a call from a friend who had died seven years ago? If you get a spoof-call, hang up on them. If they say they are from a collection agency or the IRS and demand payment or threaten you, block them by dialing 67 and enter the scammer’s number.

Send a money- or time-saving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax to (210) 435-6473; or email