Avoiding Scams / Scam Calls Targeting Seniors
Keeping your family safe from scam calls
A phone call is still one of the most common ways this kind of coverage gets sold — and, unfortunately, one of the most common ways someone gets taken advantage of. In the first ten seconds, the two can sound almost identical, which is exactly why it's worth knowing the difference in advance, before your parent or spouse is actually on the line.
What a genuine, caring call sounds like
A licensed agent reaching out — whether because you requested information or they're following up on an existing policy — will tell you their name, name the company they represent, and share a license number the moment you ask for one. They'll walk through the coverage in plain language, they won't push for a decision on that first call, and whatever you agree to will show up afterward in writing — real application and policy paperwork you can read over, keep, and revisit before a single payment is ever due.
Signs the call isn't what it claims to be
A handful of behaviors are reliable warning signs, no matter how kind or confident the caller sounds.
Watch for
- • Asking for payment right away over the phone — especially by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency.
- • Pushing for a decision before you hang up, often with urgency like "this rate expires today."
- • Refusing to put anything in writing, or staying vague about which company they actually represent.
- • Asking for a bank account, Social Security, or Medicare number early, before there's any real reason to need it.
- • Already knowing details about finances or health from a source they won't explain.
If a loved one is on a suspicious call right now
Hang up. There's no explanation owed, no need for a polite exit — a real company loses nothing if you call back later using a number you looked up yourself. Don't confirm or share any personal or financial details, even just to "verify" identity, since a scammer can use small confirmed details to make the next call sound more convincing. If you want to see whether the company is even real, look it up separately through your state's insurance department — never a number or link the caller provided.
Reporting it once the call ends
It's worth reporting, even after the fact. The Federal Trade Commission takes reports of exactly this kind of call at reportfraud.ftc.gov, and every report helps regulators spot patterns, even when one report alone doesn't lead to an investigation. If any money changed hands, contact your bank or card issuer right away too — the sooner it's reported, the better the odds of getting it back.