LAFAYETTE, La. ( KLFY ) — With Medicare open enrollment coming up on Nov. 1, scammers are posing as government authorities and health insurance companies to get access to your Medicare number.

Chris Babin, CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Acadiana , said scammers often offer better coverage.

“They’ll contact them a lot of times pretending to be with a government agency or a company who is saying that they can get them better coverage than they may have on their Medicare plan,” Babin said. “So they need information from them, including their Medicare number, which you should never give out, or your Social Security number or date of birth. All of that information that could lead to identity theft.”

The scam can be pretty convincing, even offering free equipment and services if you provide your Medicare number.

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“Your Medicare number is essentially your account number,” Babin said. “And if a scammer has that number, they can obtain equipment or services in your name, which in the end could leave you ineligible for those same equipment or services.”

In another version of the scam, they text you a health insurance survey to complete.

“They’re wanting you to complete information, just basic information,” Babin said. “The problem is they’re going to ask for some of that person’s identifiable information at some point in the survey, which could lead you to identity theft.”

How to avoid this scam during open enrollment season:

• Don’t trust a name or number. Con artists use official names and local area codes to get you to trust them.
• Hang up and go to an official website. You can enroll or re-enroll in Medicare at Medicare.gov.
• Never share personal identifiable information with someone who has contacted you unsolicited. This includes your health insurance number.
• Guard your government-issued numbers. Never offer your Medicare ID number to anyone.
• Know the signs. Medicare will never contact you to verify your personal information by email, text message or phone.

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