Medicare Scams

[MR.MAGOO]

If you are close to retirement age (65), are you getting a bunch of e-mail junk and regular post snail-mail about Medicare? Every few weeks now I get in USPS mail 'official' looking correspondence, only to find once I open the envelope it's from a non-disclosed 'party' with a PO Box somewhere in the middle west. How the heck are these 'nameless' entities finding out who is close to 65? (I think I know the answer, wondering if you've come to same conclusion).

 

[Out-Of-Phase]

Hello Mr. Magoo,

The mail I usually get is healthcare companies trying to get me to sign up for their Medicare Advantage Plan coverage. For a while, I even got spam letters once a week from The Neptune Society wanting me to buy cremation coverage. I envelopes were very cleverly disguised. I called them and TOLD them to stop, they did.

 

[lovinthehd]

Don't forget the ever present junk mail from AARP Junk mail just goes in the recycling immediately without opening....

 

[panteragstk]

Apparently if there is an envelope with "postage paid" on it you can tape it to a large box of bricks/rocks/heavy things and send it back to them. Wonder if that'd make them stop?

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/10/bank-junk-mail-brick/

 

[mtrycrafts]

Apparently if there is an envelope with "postage paid" on it you can tape it to a large box of bricks/rocks/heavy things and send it back to them. Wonder if that'd make them stop?

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/10/bank-junk-mail-brick/

No. If you do this, the Post office will just trash it per rules on the books.
But, I wonder if you could slide a sheet of lead in it, say 10 oz, and mail it?
Envelope is not taped to anything, just lots of information in it.

 

[panteragstk]

No. If you do this, the Post office will just trash it per rules on the books.
But, I wonder if you could slide a sheet of lead in it, say 10 oz, and mail it?
Envelope is not taped to anything, just lots of information in it.

That could work.

There should be a do not mail list like there is a do not call list.

 

[lovinthehd]

That could work.

There should be a do not mail list like there is a do not call list.

I remember asking the PO about that once, they referred me to a private organization that would put you on such a list....never noticed a difference. Altho these days glad they help keep the PO alive....

ps Nor does signing up for the do not call list make a lot of difference these days as they can't keep up with the boiler room tech....

 

[KEW]

Apparently if there is an envelope with "postage paid" on it you can tape it to a large box of bricks/rocks/heavy things and send it back to them. Wonder if that'd make them stop?

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/10/bank-junk-mail-brick/

I went through a "phase" in college where I would kill one of the plentiful roaches (or "Palmetto bugs" as they are called down here). I don't think it would stop them sending the junk mail to me as i never took the time to fill out the return address, I just saw the postage paid envelope as a free opportunity to "pay back" the annoyance!

 

[mtrycrafts]

....

ps Nor does signing up for the do not call list make a lot of difference these days as they can't keep up with the boiler room tech....

It may be continuing but Consumer Reports not that long ago published an article on a number of big fishes prosecuted, fined and jailed.

 

[lovinthehd]

It may be continuing but Consumer Reports not that long ago published an article on a number of big fishes prosecuted, fined and jailed.

Just not enough to significantly reduce the number of calls I suppose....I get more such calls on my cell each month....and if you report the number its not meaningful as the numbers change faster than the gubmint can deal with outside of clamping down completely which they're not going to do.

 

[highfigh]

Just not enough to significantly reduce the number of calls I suppose....I get more such calls on my cell each month....and if you report the number its not meaningful as the numbers change faster than the gubmint can deal with outside of clamping down completely which they're not going to do.

How do you clamp down on robotic callers when they're programmed to learn?

 

[panteragstk]

How do you clamp down on robotic callers when they're programmed to learn?

Google does a great job with their phone app. It automatically screens the call and doesn't even let your phone ring if it is "suspected spam". Pretty fantastic.

 

[lovinthehd]

How do you clamp down on robotic callers when they're programmed to learn?

Good question, I don't know enough about how it works....but there's gotta be a way to shut the crap calling off completely....have a terminator track 'em down and dispose of them Let's get medieval on their asses!

 

[Swerd]

Robocalls and spammers would disappear overnight if they had to pay for their use of private phone lines. My phone service is my private property. It certainly isn't their place of business.