Don’t Fall For This DNA Scam

We’ll say one thing for some of these robocall scammers, they sure can think out of the box. This time, they are trying to get your personal information by dangling an item that has become very popular in recent years.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is issuing an alert on a new type of scam. This one involves Medicare and DNA testing kits.

Find out how this new scam works and what to look out for. We’ll also offer tips to avoid falling for all types of schemes run by robocallers.

A DNA testing kit for your data

Impersonating federal government employees is all the rage for illegal robocallers. They pretend to be from the Internal Revenue Service, Social Security Administration, Medicare, FBI and more.

Now, the FTC has issued a warning on a new twist to a Medicare robocall scam. DNA testing kits are being offered. But don’t fall for it. Instead of learning your ancestry you could end up having your identity stolen.

In exchange for Medicare numbers, Social Security numbers and other personal information, scammers are offering to send victims a DNA testing kit. With such kits growing in popularity, it’s quite the carrot to dangle in front of the unsuspecting.

Some robocallers sweeten the deal even more. They tell their marks that the DNA test can offer early diagnoses for diseases such as cancer.

But, here’s something to remember: Medicare does not market DNA testing kits to the general public, so the sounds-too-good-to-be-true adage applies yet again.