Protect yourself from Flex Spend Card scams

The latest Medicare scam involves the popular flex cards offered by many Medicare Advantage plans, including UPMC for Life. One way scammers are targeting Medicare members is through fake websites with information about the flex card benefit. The page may or may not ask you to give personal information. These websites might even look like they are coming from your health plan, but they are fraudulent and could be a risk to your security.

Ways to spot fraud

While scammers may find ways around the best precautions, it helps to look out for common signs of fraud. Use the tips below to protect yourself.

• Check the website address. Scammers may try to make the link look like it comes from a legitimate company, but the link will not match the company’s real website. Check for misspellings. Make sure there is only one domain (for example, ".com," ".org," ".net") in the link. When looking for information from UPMC for Life, make sure the page is coming from upmchealthplan.com/medicare.
  
  
• Check for grammar mistakes, misspelled words, or odd formatting. Excessive typos and poor design are common in scam websites. If it looks suspicious, trust your instinct.
  
  
• Check for signs of security. It is a good sign if the web address bar includes an icon of a closed lock, meaning the browser recognized a security certificate for the website.
  
  
• Check the contact information. Missing contact information is often a sign that the website is a scam. If you know the phone number of your health plan, make sure this information matches what you find on the page. UPMC for Life will direct members to call us about their Flex Spend Card using one of the below phone numbers:
  
  
  • Flex Spend Card information: 1-833-293-6483 (TTY: 711)
    
    
  • Member Services: 1-877-539-3080 (TTY: 711)
    
    
• Check for additional resources. Medicare Advantage plans are required to provide certain documents on their website. Look near the bottom of the page for links to documents such as a Privacy Statement or Nondiscrimination Notice.
  
  
• Keep your software up to date. Stay current with system updates on your phone, tablet, or computer. Install antivirus and firewall security software if you can. If you need help with your device, our UPMC Health Plan Tech Guides can help! Call us at 1-833-685-5418 (TTY: 711) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

When in doubt, get out. If you are suspicious of a website, the best thing you can do is leave it. Do not give any payment or personal information, including your health care information, if you are suspicious of the website.

What to do if you have questions about the authenticity of a website

If you encounter a website you believe to be a scam, do not enter any information. Close the page and disconnect from the internet. Do a full scan of your device using an antivirus/anti-malware software. You may also want to change your passwords and make sure you’ve backed up files somewhere safe. Contact Member Services at 1-877-539-3080 (TTY: 711) to verify if the website is legitimate or if you have any questions.

If you have not entered any information on the website, then your UPMC for Life Flex Spend Card is still safe to use and you do not need a new one. If you provided your UPMC for Life member ID or Flex Spend Card number, you may need a new card.

Here are two easy ways to request a new card:

1. Phone: Call our automated system 24/7 at 1-833-293-6483 (TTY: 711) and select prompt 5.
2. MyHealth OnLine:
   • Log in to UPMC Health Plan member site.
   • Under Your Insurance click UPMC for Life Flex Spend Card.
   • Click UPMC for Life Flex Spend Card Portal.
   • Once on the portal, click Accounts, then Banking/Cards.
   • Under Debit Cards, click Report Lost/Stolen.

If you entered your Social Security number or other personal information into the website, then you should report potential identity theft at the Federal Trade Commission’s IdentityTheft.gov.

Report suspected fraud

If you suspect fraud, you must report the matter to protect yourself and your health care benefits. To report suspected fraud, waste, and abuse, please contact the UPMC Fraud Hotline at 1-866-FRAUD-01 (1-866-372-8301). You can call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If no one is available at the time of your call, you can leave a voicemail. Your call will be returned within 24 hours.

You can also report fraud 24 hours a day, seven days a week to The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) by calling the Health & Human Services (HHS) fraud hotline at 1-800-447-8477 or calling Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to report suspected Medicare-related fraud.

Learn more: Watch our Staying in Touch presentation about avoiding scams