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How to avoid scams
Guarding against scams and fraud starts before you even pick up the phone or check your email. Learn how to protect yourself.
Supercharged with AI, scams look and sound more realistic than ever — and they seem to come from every direction. The good news? You can protect yourself with some very basic steps.
Tip: When in doubt, don’t worry about being polite. Just end the call. Don’t reply to the message. If the person said they’re from your bank, health plan, or another organization you use, contact that organization at their official phone number, website, or app.
Protect yourself ahead of time
First, let’s look at practical ways to protect yourself before a scammer even contacts you.
Know the details that trusted organizations will — and won’t — ask for
Devoted, your bank, and other trusted organizations may ask you to confirm your identity so they know that it's really you (and not someone trying to scam them). They'll usually ask for things like your member ID, your address, or your birthday. You still want to be sure the person on the other end is who they say they are, but it’s not unusual they ask for this.
Trusted organizations will never ask for your password, PIN, or two-factor authentication code. That’d be like asking for a copy of your house key. Anyone requesting this info should raise a huge red flag for you.
Trusted organizations also won't ask for payment in strange ways, like paying by:
- Money transfer to a "safe" account
- Gift card
- Wire transfer
- Cryptocurrency
Again, these are all giant red flags.
Don’t be fooled by someone who knows your personal details
A scammer may already have your name, address, and birthday from data breaches or even social media. So, don’t let your guard down just because someone has a few basic details about you. Even a familiar voice isn't proof of identity — AI makes it easy to sound like someone else.
If you’re not sure why you’ve been contacted, just hang up or don’t reply. Then, contact the organization at their official phone number, website, or app.
Create a family code word
What if the person claims to be a family member? Have a family code word to confirm real emergencies. Let’s say “antelope” is your family code word. When a family member calls and says “antelope,” you know it’s the real deal. Don’t share the code word on email, text, or social media!
Another option is to ask a question about an in-person event that only a family member would know. The upside here is that you don’t have to prepare anything in advance and make sure everyone already knows about it. The downside is that you have to be sure it wasn’t an event posted on social media.
Lock things down
Protect your accounts and important details with these steps:
- Place a free credit freeze with each of the three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) before anything happens.
- Turn on alerts for all your financial accounts so you’ll know right away about any suspicious activity.
- Use a password manager, like 1Password, to help you create secure, unique logins for all your accounts. Never use the same password for multiple websites.
- Turn on two-factor authentication to make accounts more secure. To login, you’ll need a password (factor 1) and a one-time code (factor 2) that you get by phone, text, or email.
- Check your free credit reports regularly to look for unusual activity.
- Guard your Medicare number and Devoted member ID like credit cards. Be very careful who you share them with. And be wary of anyone who calls offering free medical equipment or tests, or who says you need a new Medicare card.
- Avoid using public Wi-Fi for banking or health accounts because the security is often weak and hackers could be lurking.
Know the healthcare scams to watch for
- Durable medical equipment (DME) scams: You get offered free or “Medicare-covered” back braces, knee braces, genetic testing kits, or cancer screening kits in exchange for your Medicare number or Devoted member ID. Don’t do it!
- Open enrollment and plan switching scams: A fake agent contacts you to "verify coverage" or offer "pre-approved" benefit upgrades. Then, they switch your plan without your permission. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you’re in doubt, end communication with them.
- Medication scams: A scammer says that your prescription won't be filled unless you give your credit card or Medicare number over the phone. Just hang up.
- Unrequested genetic or cancer tests: Be wary of anyone offering free genetic screening or cheek-swab testing kits by mail or at community events. Only your doctor can order real genetic testing.
- Benefit allowance and card phishing: You get a text claiming your Food & Home Card or some other benefit has been blocked. It’s a scam trying to get your benefit funds. We’ll never ask you to unlock benefits funds with an unexpected link.
The big challenge with these scams is that they look a lot like legit requests we might make. For instance, we do sometimes offer free tests or equipment as a plan benefit. And when you first sign up for Devoted, we text you to be sure it was really you who signed up (because we’re fighting scammers too!). So, if you’re ever in doubt, chat with us or call 1-800-338-6833 (TTY 711).
If you think you’re being scammed…
Slow down
A scammer’s most powerful tool isn’t AI, robocallers, or any other technology. It’s creating panic so you can’t think clearly. They’ll tell you anything — a loved one is in trouble, you’ll lose everything on your computer, you’ll owe a huge fine — to get you to act RIGHT NOW.
If you feel pressured, end the call. Don’t reply to the message. Take a few breaths. Then, contact the organization at their official phone number, website, or app.
Think about what they’re asking for
Scammers want money and information that gets them money. If someone wants your password, banking info, or Social Security number, be wary. It’s almost never legit.
Think before you click
If a window pops up that claims your computer has a virus and you need to call a number or download software, it’s a scam. Real security alerts will never give you a phone number to call. Just quit your browser and move on with your day.
Do NOT give remote access to your devices
Remote access means someone can manage your device (phone, tablet, computer) over the internet. If someone’s pressuring you to give them remote access, that’s a red flag. End contact with them.
Check the details
Caller ID, emails, and texts can all be faked. Check the sender's full email address, not just the display name. Be careful with unexpected attachments and QR codes (those black and white squares that take you to a website when you point your phone’s camera at them) from unknown sources.
Don’t reply to an email or text to ask if it’s legit
Your reply just lets them know that they reached someone. Instead, contact the organization yourself using its official phone number, website, or app.
Trust your gut
If you get an email from a loved one or a text from a friend that just feels off, even if you don’t know why, call them to confirm (don’t click anything!). If you’re on a call and something doesn’t sound right, hang up and call back at an official number.
Anytime you have a little doubt creeping in, listen to it! That’s how you take control away from scammers.
What to expect from Devoted Health
If someone contacts you and says they’re from Devoted Health, you’ll want to be sure it’s us! Here’s what to know about how we work.
If you owe us money:
- We'll either mail you a bill or send one to your MyDevoted mail.
- We may also send you text reminders that a bill is due.
- We’ll never ask you for money in person. And we’ll never call and ask you to pay us RIGHT NOW, urging you to give us your credit card number.
All our letters have the Devoted logo and a return address for a PO Box in Eagan, MN. All our bills have the Devoted logo and a return address in New York, NY (PO Box 249930). And bills will always have your Devoted Health member ID on them.
If you ever get a call, text, chat, or mailing from us and you’re not sure it’s really us, chat with us in MyDevoted or call 1-800-338-6833 (TTY 711). We’re happy to check for you.
We'll never reach out to pressure you for your Social Security number or bank information.
On a call, text, chat, or email from us, we may ask a few questions to check that we're speaking with the right person. For example, we may ask you to confirm your birthday or your address. This helps us make sure we don't share your private health information with anyone else. But we’ll never ask for your private financial information.
If someone calls and you're not sure if they're really from Devoted Health, hang up and call 1-800-338-6833 (TTY 711) . We can tell you whether it was a real call from us — and if it was, we can reconnect you with the right person.
Tip: Add these numbers to your cell phone's contacts. That way, you'll know it's us when we call. And if you need us urgently, the number will already be there.
- 1-800-338-6833 (Devoted Health phone number)
- 866-85 (Devoted Health text number)
- 1-888-802-2738 (Devoted Medical phone number)
- 837-32 (Devoted Medical text number)
We'll only come to your home if you've made an appointment.
We mostly have only video or phone visits. But once in a while, we offer in-home visits too. If you're not sure whether you have an in-home appointment, call us at 1-800-338-6833 (TTY 711) before you let anyone into your home. We can look up whether you have an at-home visit scheduled with Devoted Health or our Devoted Medical partners.
All of our web pages start with www.Devoted.com or my.devoted.com.
If you ever get a link from us, it'll start with one of those two addresses. Our partners may have their own websites for specific benefits, like the Food & Home Card. If you’re not sure if a partner website is legit or how to find the information you need, just ask us and we’ll point you in the right direction.
What to expect from Medicare
Medicare will never call you — unless you give them permission in advance.
If you get a call from someone claiming to be Medicare, don’t give them your Medicare number or any other personal information. Hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
Medicare will never visit you at your home.
If someone comes by and claims to be from Medicare, don’t give them any personal information — and don’t sign any papers or forms they give you.
www.Medicare.gov is the official Medicare website.
If you’re searching for Medicare information online, always start at www.Medicare.gov. Beware of ads or copycat websites that try to look like Medicare.gov.
Leave your Medicare card at home.
Once you’re on a Medicare Advantage plan like Devoted Health, keep your red, white, and blue Medicare card at home in a safe place.