The Summit County Office of Consumer Affairs is warning consumers about offers concerning Medicare and property tax help.
Here are details:
Medicare scam
Senior citizens are receiving telephone calls from individuals claiming to be representatives of Medicare trying to get personal information for supposedly updating Medicare cards.
The caller claims to be from Medicare and wants to verify the consumer’s name, address, telephone number and date of birth. The caller also asks for the bank name where Social Security deposits are made along with account numbers.
“It is OK to interrupt the caller in mid-sentence and say, ‘No, thank you, goodbye,’ ” said Cynthia Sich, director of the agency. “Hang up. If your telephone rings immediately thereafter, do not pick it up in case it is the scam artist at it again.”
Sich said the caller will try to appear legitimate by saying the call must be transferred to a supervisor if you do not answer the questions.
Never give out personal identity information over the telephone especially when you did not place the call, she said. Medicare does not call beneficiaries to verify information. For questions about Medicare, call 1-800-633-4227, or go online to www.medicare.gov.
Property taxes
Sich’s office and the Summit County Fiscal Office are warning homeowners about an unsolicited mail offering for a fee to help you lower your property taxes.
The Summit County Fiscal Office’s Board of Revision, reviews complaints about property values. To learn how to file a complaint, call 330-643-2631, or go online to http://fiscaloffice.summitoh.net/index.php/board-of-revision-complaint.
“It is important, especially in these economic times, that property owners know that they do not need to pay a third party to file a valuation appeal on their behalf. This is a free service. Summit County property owners can file an appeal at no cost with my Board of Revision,” said Kristen M. Scalise, Summit County Fiscal Officer.
Complaint forms can be submitted to the Board of Revision until April 1.
Consumers have also reported mailings from companies offering to order a certified copy of your property deed for $50 when the public can do that for $5, Sich said.
For details, call the Summit County Office of Consumer Affairs at 330-643-2879 or go online to http://www.co.summit.oh.us/consumeraffairs.
