The Scam Sheet

What is going around right now

A free newsletter about the scams actually in circulation — how each one works, the tells that give it away, and what to do if it has already happened.

It is written for the people being targeted and for the families who worry about them, not for security professionals. Each issue takes one scam, or two related ones, and covers it properly: the mechanics, the red flags, and a recovery walkthrough by payment method — wire, card, gift card, crypto, payment app — plus where to report it.

Its numbers come from public agencies such as the FTC, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, Medicare and state attorneys general, and each one is credited in the text. There are no affiliate links and no sponsored content.

Read it and subscribe — free

What has been covered

• Issue 13 - "Pay Now or We Shut Off Your Power": The Fake Utility Bill Call (October 12, 2026)
• Issue 12 - A Fake Officer, a "Bail" Call, and a Code to Pay at the Store (October 2, 2026)
• Issue 11 - The Prize You Never Entered: How "You've Won" and "You've Been Awarded a Grant" Became the Same Con (September 28, 2026)
• Issue 10 - The Investment That Isn't: How "Pig Butchering" Crypto Scams Became the Costliest Con in America (September 18, 2026)
• Issue 9 - The Machine at the Grocery Store: How the Bitcoin ATM Became the Scammer's Favorite Way to Take Your Cash (September 12, 2026)
• Issue 8 - The "Medicare" Caller Who Wants Your Number: Open Enrollment Scams and the Season They Come Out to Play (September 3, 2026)
• Issue 7 - The Fake Computer Warning That Ends With Your Savings in a Stranger's Account: Tech Support Scams and the "Phantom Hacker" (September 1, 2026)
• Issue 6 - The Text That Says You Owe $12.51: How Fake Toll Bills and Fake Delivery Notices Turned Your Phone Into the Scammer's Front Door (August 26, 2026)
• Issue 5 - The Voice on the Phone: How Three Seconds of Audio Became the Most Convincing Scam Call You'll Ever Get (August 19, 2026)
• Issue 4 - The Job That Pays You to "Like" Videos: How the Task Scam Became the Fastest-Growing Con in the Country (August 18, 2026)
• Issue 3 - The One-Two Punch: Fake Social Media Ads, and the "Recovery Agents" Who Come for You Next (August 12, 2026)
• Issue 2 - Romance & "Friendship" Scams: The Costliest Con Isn't a Phone Call - It's a Relationship (August 6, 2026)
• Issue 1 - Imposter Scams: Why "It's Your Bank Calling" Is the Most Dangerous Sentence You'll Hear This Year (August 3, 2026)

Questions people ask

Does Medicare call people and ask for their Medicare number?

Medicare says it will never call you uninvited and ask for your personal information. It only calls and asks for that information in a few cases, like calling you back after you left a message or reported fraud. If a caller says they are Medicare and asks for your number, hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) yourself. If you are in a Medicare Advantage or drug plan, your own plan can call you, and so can the agent who helped you join. If you are not sure who is calling, hang up and call your plan yourself.

Why do Medicare scams show up in the fall?

Medicare Open Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7 each year. The FTC says scammers get more active every year around Open Enrollment, trying to get your money, your information, or both. There are other enrollment periods too, like January 1 to March 31 for people already in a Medicare Advantage plan, so stay careful all year.

What should I do if I already gave my Medicare number to a caller?

Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) and tell them someone may be using your Medicare number. You can ask for a new number. If you have Original Medicare, check your Medicare Summary Notices for anything you did not get. If you are in a plan, check what your plan sends you the same way. Your Senior Medicare Patrol can help: 1-877-808-2468 or smpresource.org. You can also report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and for identity theft, go to IdentityTheft.gov.

Is the Scam Sheet free?

Yes, and it will stay free. Every issue is free to read. To get it by email, you sign up with your email address.

Where do the facts in the Scam Sheet come from?

Issues 1 to 10 name their sources within the text. Starting with Issue 11, every issue also ends with a sources section.

Sources: Medicare.gov, "Your Medicare Card", "Reporting Medicare fraud and abuse", "Marketing rules for health plans" and "Joining a plan"; Medicare booklet 10111, "Protecting Yourself From Fraud" (2/2025); CMS, New Medicare Card information for providers (changing a compromised Medicare number); FTC consumer alert, "This Medicare Open Enrollment season, learn how to protect yourself from scams" (September 2025); Senior Medicare Patrol, smpresource.org. Checked September 25, 2026.