A New Report Shows Costly Medicare Scams Are Spreading on Facebook

Seniors who use Facebook should be on the lookout for shady Medicare advertisements on the social media site that could leave users vulnerable to identity theft.

A watchdog group says Medicare scam ads have surged on the social media site. Find out what you need to know to make sure scammers don't interfere with your retirement goals.

What did the report uncover?

Scam ads that target Medicare Advantage beneficiaries have exploded on Meta's advertising platform, according to a new study from the watchdog group the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH).

The organization says that in the past year, Medicare scam ads that appear on the Facebook social media website have racked up more than 215 million views. That total is nearly six times higher than the total for the previous years combined.

The CCDH says Meta's use of ad-targeting tools has made the problem even worse, allowing the ads to find vulnerable seniors. Among the leading Medicare scammers, 73% of all ad impressions were traced back to people who were over the age of 65, the CCDH report finds.

Current schemes

Politically-branded scams

The scam ads cleverly mimic government programs or use phony endorsements from well-known people such as Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden and Oprah Winfrey to lure Facebook users into believing that the ads are legitimate.

The ads try to appeal to users by offering promises of goodies and perks such as grocery cards or monthly spending allowances.

Fake Part D refund call

Scammers exploit confusion around the real Part D out-of-pocket cap by calling seniors and claiming they overpaid and are owed a refund. They then ask for Social Security or bank account numbers to "process" it. Red flag: Medicare does not issue refunds over the phone.

AI voice cloning

Fraudsters now use AI to clone the voices of Medicare representatives or even family members, creating urgency around fake fraud investigations to pressure seniors into sharing personal information. Red flag: Any call pressuring you to act immediately to resolve a supposed fraud case is likely a scam.

Fake new card verification calls

Scammers call claiming you need to verify a new Medicare card by providing your Medicare number or paying a processing fee. Red flag: Medicare never charges for a card and never asks you to verify it over the phone.

What are the scammers trying to achieve?

By and large, the scammers have one major goal: To obtain personal information from Facebook users.

Once the ads have built a sense of trust, Facebook users are asked to provide personal information to the scammers. Such information might include Social Security numbers, Medicare account numbers or bank account numbers, all of which are used to commit identity theft.

In other cases, the scammers may try to get seniors to switch Medicare plans in ways that may not be advantageous to the senior, the CCDH says. Such plans may leave seniors with "worse coverage, higher out-of-pocket costs, and reduced access to their own doctors," according to the CCDH.

Who is to blame for the spread of such scams?

Of course, fraudsters are ultimately to blame for perpetrating these nasty schemes. However, the CCDH contends that Meta itself shares the responsibility for the spread of scam ads.

In fact, the CCDH makes an incendiary charge, saying, "Our latest research shows that Meta, the world's largest social media company, has not been outflanked by the scammers preying on older Americans. It has gone into business with them."

According to the CCDH, Meta's earnings increase the longer a scam ad remains on the Facebook platform. It cites a Reuters report from late last year that uncovered internal Meta documents projecting the company would earn $16 billion in revenue from ads for scams and banned goods.

How does Meta respond to these charges?

For its part, Meta says it eliminated 159 million scam ads from Facebook, Messenger, and WhatsApp in 2025. The company says 92% of the ads were eliminated before anyone reported them.

In addition, Meta says it removed 10.9 million accounts on Facebook and Instagram that were linked to scammers.

Meta acknowledges that scammers are growing increasingly sophisticated and that there has been a steady growth in the "industrialization" of scams.

How do you avoid these scams?

Ultimately, there is no way to stop these scams. There are many bad actors who are determined to commit such crimes. But that doesn't mean you need to become a victim of a Medicare scam.

Fortunately, taking the right steps lowers your risk of falling prey to these crooks.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reminds you that Medicare never calls you, visits your home, or offers to sell you things or services. And Medicare representatives never request any personal information from you unless you contact them first.

If you are unsure about whether an ad represents a scam, contact Medicare directly at 1-800-MEDICARE to ask.

Additional options include calling your local Senior Medicare Patrol at 1-877-808-2468. Or, consider calling the AARP Fraud Watch Network helpline at 877-908-3360.

What to do if you become a victim of a Medicare scam?

Despite your best efforts and intentions, it is still possible you could become a victim of identity theft via a Medicare scam.

If you suspect this has happened to you, visit the official "Reporting Medicare fraud & abuse" webpage to learn how to proceed. Or, call Medicare directly at 1-800-MEDICARE.

You may also report suspicious Medicare ads or communications to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Bottom line

Medicare scams are an unfortunate fact of life. So, it's important to make the right moves to protect yourself from falling victim to thieves.

Before you respond to any Medicare ad on Facebook, pause and ask yourself whether it might be a scam. Then, reach out to Medicare directly if you are unsure before you proceed.