Politics & Government

Residents Alerted to Affordable Care Act Scam

Sharon Adult Center and Council on Aging Executive Director Norma Simons Fitzgerald circulated the Federal Trade Commission consumer alert Monday night.

Sharon, state and federal elder affairs advocates want residents to beware a scam seeking personal and financial information purportedly for the federal Affordable Care Act following the upholding that law.

Executive Director Norma Simons Fitzgerald circulated the Federal Trade Commission consumer alert to Sharon Patch and others Monday night. She received it from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs.

"It’s enough to make you sick," the alert says.

Find out what's happening in Sharonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"No sooner had the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on the Affordable Care Act than scam artists began working the phones. Claiming to be from the government,
they’re saying that under the Affordable Care Act, they need to verify some information. For example, they might have the routing number of the person's bank, and then use that information to get the person to reveal the entire account number. Other times, they have asked for credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, Medicare ID, or other personal information."

The commission is urging anyone receiving such a call to hang up.

Find out what's happening in Sharonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Complaints may be filed at ftc.gov or 1-877-FTC-HELP.


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