Medicare 2026

Scams That Ride on Social Security and Medicare News: COLA Calls and Fake "Boosts

Every fall, when Social Security announces the next year's cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) and Medicare opens its annual enrollment window, scammers follow the headlines. They know people are paying attention to their benefits, their premiums, and their mail. Here is a plain-English look at the scams making the rounds right now, how to spot them, and what to do instead.

The COLA call

On October 14, 2026, the Social Security Administration announced a 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment for benefits payable beginning January 2027. One week later, on October 21, 2026, SSA's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) warned that scammers were already using the announcement as a hook.

The pitch sounds helpful: a caller claims to be from Social Security or another government agency and offers to "increase your payments" or "activate your COLA." According to the OIG, these callers may ask you to pay a fee, change your direct deposit, hand over personal or financial information, click a link to an official-looking website, or download software. Some drop the names and titles of real government employees or send fake documents to look convincing.

The truth is simple: the COLA is automatic. If you receive Social Security, your January payment will reflect it without any action on your part.

Fake "boosts" and benefit "unlocks"

A separate OIG alert from September 21, 2026 warned about ads and calls promising to "boost," "unlock," or "maximize" Social Security benefits in exchange for an upfront fee. Social Security benefits are calculated by law, based on your earnings record and other factors. SSA does not offer bigger checks in exchange for money, and it will never call to offer you higher benefits in return for a fee or your personal information.

If someone promises a secret method to raise your check for a payment, that is the scam.

The "transfer to SSA" trick

A July 29, 2026 OIG alert flagged another tactic: a caller says they will transfer you directly to Social Security or the OIG. Legitimate companies and other agencies cannot do that. If a call "connects" you to someone claiming to be SSA or the OIG, it is a scam.

An April 28, 2026 alert added more red flags no real government employee will do: send photos of badges or credentials, demand immediate payment, insist on gift cards, gold bars, cryptocurrency, wire transfers or cash, or threaten you with arrest or legal action.

Phishing emails about your Social Security statement

In February 2026, the OIG warned of a wave of fake emails saying your Social Security statement is "ready to download." Official SSA emails come from addresses ending in ".gov." The safest move is to skip the link entirely and type ssa.gov/myaccount into your browser yourself.

Medicare impostor calls

Medicare.gov is clear: Medicare will never call you to sell you anything, and will not show up at your home. Medicare or someone representing it will call and ask for personal information only in limited situations — for example, an agent returning your call after you joined a plan, after you reported fraud, or after you left a message.

The Federal Trade Commission's Protecting Older Consumers 2025–2026 report, released October 19, 2026, found that reported fraud losses by people 60 and older topped $3 billion in 2025, up from about $2.4 billion in 2024. Many phone-scam reports from older adults — even those that did not cost money — involved callers impersonating Medicare, banks, Amazon, or the FTC itself. And because most fraud goes unreported, the real toll is almost certainly higher.

The FTC also reminds consumers that a robocall trying to sell you something is illegal unless the company got your written permission, and that scammers frequently robocall pretending to be from government agencies about Social Security numbers, taxes, or Medicare.

Why the fall is prime scam season

Open Enrollment for 2027 Medicare coverage runs October 15 – December 7, 2026, with choices taking effect January 1, 2027. During this stretch, mailboxes, inboxes and phones fill up with legitimate plan information — and with imitators. A few program facts worth knowing so you can tell them apart:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap rises to $2,400 in 2027 (it is $2,100 in 2026).
• The most any Part D plan may charge as a deductible in 2027 is $700.
• The Part D base beneficiary premium for 2027 is $41.33 — a national figure used to calculate the late-enrollment penalty. Actual plan premiums are set plan by plan.
• The 2027 Part B standard premium and deductible, and the 2027 IRMAA income brackets, have not been announced yet. CMS typically releases them in the fall. Be skeptical of anyone quoting specific numbers before then.

If you have Medicaid or Extra Help, you have a monthly Special Enrollment Period to move to Original Medicare with a stand-alone Part D plan, or to switch stand-alone Part D plans. Full-benefit dual-eligible individuals can join an integrated D-SNP in any month. You do not have to rush a decision because someone on the phone says the window is closing.

Choosing coverage — without pressure

When you compare Medicare Advantage with Original Medicare plus a Medigap policy and a stand-alone Part D plan, there are trade-offs on both sides: network rules, out-of-pocket structures, extra benefits, portability when you travel, and how prescription drug coverage fits in. None of that should be decided on a cold call. Take your time, write down your questions, and talk with someone you called first.

If something feels off

• Hang up. Do not press buttons, do not "transfer" to a supervisor, and do not call back the number they gave you.
• Do not share your Social Security number, Medicare number, bank account, or passwords with an unexpected caller or emailer.
• Report suspected Social Security scams at ssa.gov/scam or to the SSA OIG Fraud Hotline at 1-800-269-0271 (Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. ET).
• Report suspected Medicare fraud to 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
• For plan questions, benefit details, and enrollment, start at Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE.

The headline rule for this scam season is short: real benefit increases happen automatically, and real government agencies do not demand payment, gift cards, or secrecy. When in doubt, hang up and go to the source yourself.