Unfortunately, many medication scams are geared to unsuspecting seniors who want medication but who may not be as skeptical as the average consumer. It is important to make sure that any sort of discount or way to attain prescription medication for less is legitimate.

Internet

For those buying medications over the internet, make sure the site looks professional and seems to be related to an actual place with a phone number that provides the medication. Also, avoid spam e-mail providers because they are usually not trustworthy. Sometimes e-mails even claim the provider is affiliated with Medicare, but this is usually not the case.

Telemarketing/Door to Door Sales

Both of these techniques of selling medicine discounts or any other product are often geared to seniors. A new, popular way that people try to scam unsuspecting seniors is to call them on the phone, make them think they are signing up for a Medicare-approved drug discount card, and take money out of their bank accounts. Telemarketers are often trained to speak extremely fast, and seniors with hearing problems may not process all the marketers have said. Rather than asking whether or not the person is interested in purchasing their product, telemarketers just ask if it is okay to put the person down to order or subscribe to whatever product they are pushing. This technique is generally geared to seniors who won’t hear exactly what the person said and who may just agree so that they can get off the phone. It is important to remember when telemarketers call not to immediately agree to anything, or even agree with anything they offer: sometimes it is difficult to tell what exactly you are agreeing to.

If a telemarketer or door to door salesman offers a product a person is interested in, rather than subscribe by phone or at the door he or she should check out the company. The interested party should ask if there is a website they can go to for more information or a business with which the telemarketer is affiliated that the buyer can visit in person. It is probably best to refuse sharing any personal information with someone who calls on the phone or comes to the door offering prescription services, even if they say they are affiliated with Medicare.

Medicare has several websites that list the drug discounters with whom they are affiliated. Before agreeing to anything, a senior should check with Medicare, on the internet or by phone, to make sure that the program they are agreeing to is legitimate and really is approved for those on Medicare.