How to Spot Healthcare Scams
October 07, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Healthcare scams vary. Scams can take many forms, from fake medical bills to requests for insurance information.
- There are common warning signs. Learning common red flags can help you spot healthcare scams before acting.
- When in doubt, don’t pay, click or share. Trust your instincts if something feels suspicious, and verify the source separately before responding or clicking links.
You receive a text saying you owe money for a medical bill, followed by a link to pay. Or maybe you get a call from someone claiming to be from your local health system who needs to verify your insurance information.
Sound familiar? These are examples of healthcare scams, according to Richard Leon, Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer at Memorial Healthcare System. While healthcare scams evolve with technology, Leon says they often share common warning signs. Learning to recognize them can help protect your money and personal information.
What Is a Healthcare Scam?
There are several types of healthcare scams. Most involve imposter schemes in which scammers pretend to represent a trusted healthcare organization, doctor’s office, insurance company or government agency. Their goal is to steal your money, identity or sensitive information.
Common Healthcare Scams
Common types of healthcare scams include:
- Medical billing scams. You may receive a call, text or email from someone posing as a representative of your local hospital or doctor’s office urging you to pay a medical bill that doesn’t exist.
- Health insurance scams. Scammers may call, text or email asking to verify insurance information, often threatening to suspend or cancel coverage if you don’t respond.
- Free product scams. Scammers may offer “free” medical equipment or genetic testing — sometimes claiming it’s “recommended” by your healthcare provider — in exchange for personal or insurance information.
- Medication fraud. Scammers may advertise medications or health products that claim to cure or prevent serious illness without any evidence of being safe or effective.
6 Red Flags for Potential Healthcare Scams
Wondering how to spot healthcare scams? Many share common traits, including:
- Urgency and threats. Healthcare scammers often suggest you pay money or share information immediately, often with the threat of account cancellation or legal penalties.
- Unexpected requests. Legitimate healthcare organizations or insurance companies typically do not contact you unexpectedly for passwords, account information or other personal data.
- Unusual payment methods. If you’re asked to pay via cryptocurrency, wire transfer or gift cards, the source is probably not legitimate.
- Suspicious links or codes. Imposter schemes often send suspicious links or codes that you didn’t request, which may compromise personal information or install malware on your device.
- “Too good to be true” promises. Some healthcare scams promote products that claim to cure diseases or deliver guaranteed results.
- Language or communication errors. Scams may use unusual email addresses or language with poor spelling, grammar, formatting or sentence phrasing.
How to Avoid Falling for Healthcare Scams
Follow these steps to protect yourself from emerging healthcare scams:
- Don’t share your information. Don’t give away personal information or sensitive data unless you’re certain of the person’s identity.
- Hang up and verify. If you receive an unexpected call from someone requesting personal information or data, hang up. Call your healthcare organization or insurance company directly to verify the source.
- Don’t click links. Unless you’ve specifically requested a link or code, don’t click on links or scan QR codes in emails or text messages.
- Talk to your doctor before trying new health products. Work with your healthcare provider before trying any new medication or supplement to verify the source, ingredients and compatibility with current medications. If there's a medical device you're curious to try, discuss it with your provider first to make sure it's safe to use.
How to Report Scammers
You can report healthcare scams directly to the Federal Trade Commission. Reporting scams helps law enforcement identify healthcare fraud trends, investigate claims and warn others about potential scams.
Protect Yourself from Healthcare Scams
If you receive a call, message or email that claims to be from Memorial Healthcare System, but you notice any of the above red flags, don’t respond right away. Instead, you can:
- Avoid clicking links or following QR codes.
- Contact Memorial Healthcare System directly at 954-987-2000 to verify the communication.
- Report it to us.
- Report suspected healthcare scams to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
