Scams

Messages are circulating that a data breach means a new Medicare number for some people. A genuine reissue costs you $0, arrives by mail, and never comes with a phone call asking you to pay or “confirm” anything. Three simple rules tell the real thing from a thief.

A credit freeze is free, smart, and worth doing — but it only locks the front door. The scam draining older Americans of tens of thousands walks in the back. Here’s the 5-minute fix that does.