Medicare fraud alert: Scammers are offering unneeded genetic tests to get your personal information

People have been targeted through telephone calls, booths at public events, health fairs, and door-to-door visits.

If the beneficiary agrees to the test or verifies information, a testing kit is sent even if it was not ordered by a physician.

What to do

• Don’t accept a genetic testing kit that has been mailed to you unless you know it was ordered by your doctor. Refuse delivery or return it. Keep a record of the return address and the date you returned the kit.
• Be suspicious of anyone who offers free genetic testing and then wants your Medicare number. Your physician should approve any needed genetic tests.
• If you suspect fraud, contact the HHS OIG Hotline or call 1-800-447-8477.

If you’ve personally ordered a DNA testing kit or gotten one as a gift from a company like Ancestry or 23andMe, you are safe to use it. These companies won’t ask for insurance information.