Medicare Open Enrollment Scams: How to Spot Them in 2026

Medicare open enrollment scams pick up every fall, and 2026 is no different. Open Enrollment runs from October 15 to December 7, and the people who want your Medicare number know that calendar as well as you do. This guide covers the tricks showing up right now, what Medicare will and won't do, and how to use a tool like ChatGPT to make sense of your options without handing anything private to a stranger.

The short version: Medicare already has your information. A real Medicare office will not cold call you and ask for it.

Why Medicare open enrollment scams spike in October

Open Enrollment is the one window each year when people on Medicare can switch plans. According to Medicare.gov's yearly review guide, you can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage plan or drug plan between October 15 and December 7, and most changes take effect January 1.

That creates the perfect cover story. A caller can say "your plan is changing" or "you need to act before the deadline" and it sounds plausible. Scammers don't need a new trick. They just need you to feel rushed.

Local news is already reporting it. On October 9, WAFF in Alabama quoted the Better Business Bureau and AARP Alabama warning about calls offering a "new Medicare card," better coverage, lower costs or free medical equipment. AARP's spokesperson made the key point plainly: Medicare does not start calls or texts to ask for your personal details.

The 5 most common tricks this season

1. The "new Medicare card" call

The caller says you need a new card and asks you to "verify" your Medicare number. You don't need to verify anything. If Medicare needs to reach you, it sends a letter.

2. Free equipment or "extra benefits"

A back brace, a blood sugar monitor, a free gift card for switching plans. These offers are a common way to collect your Medicare number, which can then be used to bill for services you never received.

3. Fake search ads for Medicare.gov

This one is newer and sneakier. The FTC warned on September 28, 2026 that scammers pay to appear at the top of search results, using web addresses and logos that look like Medicare.gov or HealthCare.gov. If you click the ad, you might pay for a plan that isn't real insurance, or hand over enough to steal your medical identity.

4. Texts with a link

"Your Medicare benefits will lapse. Click here." Real Medicare will not text you a link asking you to log in or confirm details.

5. The friendly "agent" who never asked permission

Insurance agents and brokers who sell Medicare plans need your permission before contacting you. If someone calls out of nowhere and starts selling, that alone is a reason to hang up.

What Medicare will and won't do

Keep this list handy. It's the fastest way to sort a real contact from a fake one.

Medicare will:

• Mail you official notices, like the "Medicare & You" handbook.
• Answer if you call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) yourself.
• Let you compare plans at Medicare.gov/plan-compare.

Medicare won't:

• Cold call you to ask for your Medicare or Social Security number.
• Text you a link to "keep" your benefits.
• Charge you for a new card.
• Send someone to your home to sign you up.

How to compare plans safely, and where AI fits

AI tools are genuinely useful during Open Enrollment, as long as you use them for the right part of the job. Think of ChatGPT as a patient helper that explains things. It is not a place to type private numbers.

Good uses:

• Decode your Annual Notice of Change. Type the confusing paragraph (not your member number) into ChatGPT and ask, "Explain this in plain English. What changes for me next year?"
• Build a question list. Ask, "What should I ask before switching from my current Medicare Advantage plan?" Then bring that list to a call you started.
• Practice the call. Ask ChatGPT to role-play a plan representative so you feel calm when you make the real call.
• Check a message. Paste the text of a suspicious email or text (remove your name and numbers first) and ask, "Does this look like a scam? Why?"

If you're new to these tools, our guide to your first 10 minutes with ChatGPT walks through the setup. And if you'd rather talk than type, ChatGPT voice mode works well for this kind of back and forth.

What to never do with AI or anyone else: type your Medicare number, Social Security number, bank details or passwords into a chat. A real advisor doesn't need them in a chat window, and neither does an AI.

Search smarter: skip the ads

The FTC's advice is simple and worth repeating:

1. Type Medicare.gov directly into your browser's address bar.
2. Look for small "Ad" or "Sponsored" labels in search results, and scroll past them.
3. Check that the web address ends in .gov.
4. For free, unbiased help, use your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) or local Senior Medicare Patrol, both mentioned in the FTC alert.

What to do if you already shared something

Don't panic, and don't stay quiet. Move fast:

• Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) and explain what happened.
• Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
• Watch your Medicare Summary Notices for services you didn't get, as AARP Alabama advised in the WAFF report.
• If you gave bank details, call your bank right away.

Scammers count on embarrassment to keep people from reporting. Smart people get fooled every day. Reporting protects you and the next person on the list.

A quick script for scam calls

Write this on a card and keep it by the phone:

"I don't give out my Medicare number on calls I didn't make. I'll call Medicare myself. Goodbye."

Then hang up. You don't owe a stranger an explanation. For more on this, see our post on AI scam calls, which covers voice tricks that are making these calls sound more convincing.

Common questions

Do I have to change plans during Open Enrollment? No. As the BBB noted in the WAFF report, you don't have to change anything just because Open Enrollment has started. If your current plan still fits, you can keep it.

Can I use ChatGPT to pick a plan for me? Use it to understand your options and prepare questions. Make the final choice using Medicare.gov's plan finder, your SHIP counselor, or the plan directly.

Is a call from my own insurance company always real? Not always. Caller ID can be faked. Hang up and call the number on your card.

Learn the basics in one sitting

Medicare open enrollment scams work because the rules feel complicated and the deadline feels close. Knowing a few plain rules takes most of the fear away.

That's the whole idea behind our book, AI for Boomers. It's a plain-language guide to using AI safely, including how to spot scams and how to get real help from tools like ChatGPT. See the book here, or grab it on Amazon.