LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY)– 69 million Americans are enrolled in Medicare. As open enrollment approaches, opportunities for Medicare scams will too.

Scam letters often offer free medical equipment, a new plan or improved changes to your current plan.

Andrew Tauzin with Lagniappe Insurance Group said people get so much spam mail, that they end up throwing out important information, causing other issues.

“They get frustrated,” Tauzin said. “And they end up throwing everything away.”

Tauzin said some of his clients have thrown away their Medicare cards when deciphering through real and junk mail.

Kathryn Mobley, Better Business Bureau of Acadiana CEO, said to determine if the Medicare mail is legitimate or not, read the fine print.

“You think, ‘Oh, okay, this is a Medicare letter,'” Mobley said. “But then at the bottom and in the little, small print, it’ll have, ‘This is not a government agency.’ And it’ll pretty much-they’re disclaiming it, but no one ever reads the small print.”

Tauzin also suggested paying close attention to any phone numbers given on the letter.

“When you call 1-800-Medicare, you know you’re calling Medicare,” Tauzin said. “And if you have something in the mail that has a number, and it indicates that they’re with Medicare, if it’s not 1-800-Medicare, that’s not Medicare. It could be fraudulent.”

Tauzin said other common Medicare scams include scammers filing for medical equipment under your name and changing your Medicare plan without your knowledge.

“Their job is to sell that product. Whether it’s a good fit for the client or not is irrelevant to them, and that’s how people get taken advantage of,” Tauzin said. “Whereas, if you’re working with a local independent broker that represents all the different carriers, then my job is to evaluate what’s in their best interest for that client and put them in a plan that works best for them.”

Here’s how to avoid Medicare mail scams:

• Read mail carefully. If you think the letter is legitimate, read it in its entirety, looking at the fine print and the given contact information.
• Contact official sources. If you have questions, call 1-800-MEDICARE or visit https://www.medicare.gov/.
• Guard your government issued number. Don’t give into scare tactics and never offer your personal information to anyone.

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