CONSUMER ALERT: CFO Jimmy Patronis Warns of Pain Relief Scams Targeting Seniors, Florida Blue Customers

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis warns Floridians of a telemarketing scam targeting seniors and most often Florida Blue customers. Blue Cross Blue Shield nationally has received complaints from members about scammer calls involving “experimental pain relief cream” to replace current pain medication. Some of these callers aim to steal identities while others may attempt to fraudulently charge an insurer, resulting in paying out-of-pocket expenses or receiving a bogus product.

CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “Florida residents are most likely to report being the target of fraud and identity theft. Anyone that provides prescription medication to you without a medical doctor directly involved in your personal care is committing fraud. Preying on seniors and some of our most vulnerable population is shameful and we must do everything possible to warn Floridians about this scam.” 

Tips for Consumers:

1. “Free” is often code for “Scam.” Anyone offering you “free” medications, medical equipment or medical services is most likely trying to scam you and some calls may be identity theft attempts. If you receive this kind of call, hang up. If it’s a robocall, do not press any numbers and hang up. 2. Look out for spoofed numbers. Don’t rely on your caller ID to confirm who's calling. Technology makes it easy for scammers to spoof caller ID information. 3. Never give out personal information. Do not provide personal information to someone who calls, especially your Social Security number or Medicare number. If you are doing business with a health care provider, they should already have that information.

4. Do your homework. If you think a call may be legitimate, call the business or organization at a telephone number found on the official website, phone book or a statement from the company. Obtain written information about a company including the salesperson’s full name, telephone number, the business’ street and mailing address and license number.

5. Think before you click. Do not click on hyperlinks contained in emails from unknown individuals or businesses. Scammers may try to trick you into accessing financial accounts by sending an email that appears to be from a legitimate organization and contains a link to a log in page. If you need or want to log in to any financial account, do so by visiting the financial institution’s web page directly to log into your account. This tactic is a form of phishing.

Please call CFO Patronis’ Consumer Helpline at 1-877-MYFLCFO (1-877- 693-5236) or visit www.myfloridacfo.com if you have any questions or need additional information.

About CFO Jimmy Patronis
Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis is a native Floridian and a member of Florida’s Cabinet, who oversees the Department of Financial Services. CFO Patronis works each day to fight insurance fraud, support Florida’s firefighters, and ensure the state’s finances are stable to support economic growth in the state. Follow the activities of the Department on Facebook (FLDFS) and Twitter (@FLDFS).