The FTC is warning that scammers and dishonest marketers ramp up ahead of Open Enrollment, buying search ads and building lookalike web addresses designed to pass for Healthcare.gov or Medicare.gov, and that anyone claiming to be an "official Medicare agent" is a scammer by definition.
Go to coverage yourself by typing HealthCare.gov or Medicare.gov directly into your browser or calling 1-800-MEDICARE, and never give your Medicare number to anyone who contacted you first, no matter how official the website or caller sounds.
Why it's "Elevated" today
We don't predict the future. This level reflects what is verifiably happening right now.
A Federal Trade Commission consumer alert (September 28, 2026) warns that health insurance scams happen year-round but pick up as Open Enrollment for Medicare and the Affordable Care Act Marketplace approaches. The FTC says scammers and dishonest marketers sometimes pay for search ads that outrank the genuine government sites, and use web addresses, keywords, and official-looking logos designed to make you think you have reached the real HealthCare.gov or Medicare.gov when you have not.
FTC Consumer Alert (September 28, 2026): What to know ahead of Open Enrollment to avoid health insurance scamsThe FTC's standing guidance on Medicare Open Enrollment rights states plainly that there is no such thing as an "official Medicare agent": anyone claiming that title on an unsolicited call is a scammer, because the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services does not employ Medicare sales representatives. This warning is republished every year as the October 15 to December 7 enrollment window approaches.
FTC Consumer Advice — Know your rights during Medicare Open EnrollmentActive right now
The scams behind today's level.
A paid search ad or a web address close to the real one leads to a site built to look like HealthCare.gov or Medicare.gov, or a caller claims to be an "official Medicare agent" — a title that does not exist. Go direct: type the .gov address yourself or call 1-800-MEDICARE, and never hand over your Medicare number to someone who contacted you first.
Read the guideEditorial, not algorithmic. Risk levels are a transparent editorial judgment based on a published rubric — with sources, never pseudo-precise scores.
Get the forecast in your inbox
The weekly Deception Forecast — when a scam is spiking, it leads the issue.
Subscribe free