OAK CREEK, Wis. — If you feel like your phone won't stop ringing with Medicare calls, you're not alone. The Better Business Bureau's Scam Tracker shows more than 1,000 scam complaints were filed in the last 90 days in Wisconsin. Some were about Medicare-related calls.
For one local man, it's become a daily battle. Mark Schuster of Oak Creek reached out to TMJ4 for help. But can you actually make these calls stop? TMJ4 reporter Andrea Albers went looking for answers.
The calls start around noon and last until 6 o'clock at night, Schuster said, with at least 10 to 15 coming in a day.
"You're good for at least 10 to 15 a day," Schuster said.
Watch Andrea Albers' video report below:
When asked if that was really 10 to 15 a day, he didn't hesitate.
"Oh yes, easily," Schuster said.
Call after call, many carry a similar pitch, Schuster says: benefits connected to Medicare. But Schuster isn't even eligible for the program yet.
"I'm not eligible yet. Not for another year," Schuster said.
Schuster says he's heard offers for everything from burial benefits to $250 a month for food. The volume of calls has piled up fast.
"This is only since like August… this is just piles and piles," Schuster said flipping through pages of printed call logs. "There's 10 numbers on every page and I've got 100 pages worth of documents here."
He's tried the no-call list. He's checked with his phone carrier. But the calls keep coming. And simply ignoring every unknown number isn't always an option.
"We do have doctors that will call us and it doesn't come up as a healthcare number," Schuster said. "So you still have to pick up."
So we took the question to the Better Business Bureau: is there a way to make these calls stop?
"I mean, you can block the calls certainly, but we know that scammers always come up with new phone numbers, so that doesn't always work," Lisa Schiller, senior director of investigations and media relations, said.
That makes the question Schuster brought to TMJ4 a hard one: can you actually make them stop? There may not be one simple answer, but there are places to report them. Medicare says it will never call you to sell you anything. If you suspect Medicare fraud, you can report it to 1-800-MEDICARE.
Schuster worries that the persistence of these calls could eventually wear someone down.
"Sooner or later somebody's going to stay on that line… with prices being the way they are… people are going to say 'oh my God. I could get some relief,'" Schuster said.
Schiller's advice for what people should do if they get one of these calls, is simple.
"If you get one of these calls, hang up immediately and take time to report it. Don't provide any information," Schiller said.
The FTC also takes reports of unwanted calls and scams. The Wisconsin Senior Medicare Patrol also helps people report suspected Medicare fraud.
To report a suspicious call, contact Medicare directly at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). For additional support, call the free AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360.
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This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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