MEDICAL ALERT SCAM
Death, doom, destruction
“Over 65? Hurry now, or this year may be your last“
Nothing like the fear of death to get your attention. Such is the tactic of the ‘Medical Alert’ scam, targeting senior citizens and the AARP set. Simple, yet impactful, this robocall offers a “free” medical alert device to help avoid becoming a ‘statistic’.
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What you should know
No doubt that medical alerts have saved countless lives nationwide. But with the success of legitimate businesses such as Life Alert, come the associated scams in the form of pre-recorded messages from medical alert imposters. Unauthorized and unsolicited, these robocalls invite their victims to “press 1 to connect to a live person.
The scam can progress in several directions: the robocall says “someone has purchased a medical alert system for you”, or that “You qualify for a free medical alert”. Other calls may say they are calling from a shipping department to confirm a free order or to send upgraded equipment. And still others promise that you’re entitled to $3,000 in money-saving coupons claiming that the free-device offer is being made on behalf of AARP. These scammers are trying to mislead and defraud consumers to capture address, credit card and bank information.
How YouMail can help stop medical alert scams today
YouMail is the leading solution for getting rid of robocalls and we are proud that our customers are protected from scammers, spammers, and other unwanted callers. Best of all, it’s a 100% free service available for everyone!
Typical medical alert scam voicemail left with YouMail customers
TRANSCRIPTION: Please press one and hold the line to receive a medical alert system. One out of every three Americans that are over 65 fall every year in the US and this year may be your last. Don't be a statistic. Press one now to receive a medical alarm at no cost. Press one now or press nine to opt out.
What you should do
Don’t be tempted into pressing any number. In fact, we suggest you hang up! Remember, pressing 1 gets you to a live operator, who does a hard sell with more scare tactics to get you to reveal your financial and personal information. Pressing any other number in the hopes of opting out will only confirm that you have a working phone number that’s ripe for future telemarketing and robocalls calls. What if you get conned into taking the call? Don’t provide any personal information, including your name, address, birthdate or social security number. Keep in mind that displayed numbers are likely fake (spoofed). Report them and other Do Not Call violations to ftc.gov/complaint or 1-888-382-1222.
Our best advice
Let calls go to voicemail! It’s your best defense. Of course, we recommend getting the YouMail service as it’s the absolute best solution to avoid telemarketers and robocallers. Need to get the specifics on the number? Check out YouMail’s online phone directory to see if that number has negative reports or is from a known scammer.