Robocallers are flooding U.S. phones with fake Medicare Advantage grocery credits and emergency SNAP deposits while the Federal Trade Commission’s fraud-reporting tools stay offline during the federal shutdown, security researchers and local broadcast investigations warn. The pitches sound urgent; the playbook is old.
Scam-blocking service Nomorobo shared audio with Philadelphia’s 6abc in which operators promise “free extra benefits such as groceries, gas, prescriptions, and a monthly stipend” if recipients agree to a Medicare Advantage review. Separate recordings claim SNAP households will receive replacement funds within 24 hours if they press 1 and open a link. Neither offer comes from a government agency.
Why the timing hurts
The shutdown closed large parts of the FTC, which posted on its site that consumer-facing systems would not be updated until funding returns. ReportFraud.ftc.gov, IdentityTheft.gov, and the bulk-order tool for printed scam education materials are unavailable, according to coverage from Charlotte’s WCNC and consumer columns nationwide. The National Do Not Call Registry remains in effect for numbers already enrolled, but new registrations and fraud complaints are stuck until staff return.
That gap matters because Medicare open enrollment runs through Dec. 7, a window when legitimate brokers and crooks alike dial beneficiaries. SNAP households also faced uncertain November loads during the funding lapse, giving fraudsters a believable hook about “replacement funds.”
Calls to hang up on
Consumer reporters documented several scripts. One caller claims eligibility for Medicare-linked grocery and gas stipends with no cost. Another warns that “most SNAP households will only receive about half” of November benefits and offers a 24-hour window to confirm eligibility via text link. A third insists a beneficiary must switch prescription plans or lose Medicare coverage outright—a lie, because Part D remains voluntary.
The Michigan Attorney General and FTC guidance, published before the shutdown, emphasize that Medicare will not cold-call demanding numbers from the red-white-and-blue card. SNAP state agencies do not threaten to “restrict” EBT cards over the phone to harvest Social Security numbers.
What to do instead
Hang up without pressing 1 or reading card numbers aloud. To verify Medicare questions, call 800-MEDICARE yourself after looking up the number on medicare.gov. For SNAP, use the phone number printed on the back of your state’s benefits card or your department of social services website—not a number the caller provides.
While FTC reporting is down, file complaints with your state attorney general, local police if money moved, and the Better Business Bureau’s Scam Tracker. Banks may need a separate fraud report if you paid by wire or gift card.
After the government reopens
Keep screenshots of caller IDs and voicemails. When ReportFraud comes back online, uploading those artifacts helps investigators spot clusters tied to the same VOIP provider. Until then, treating every unsolicited benefits call as fraudulent is the safer default—even when the country’s longest shutdown looks close to ending in the Senate.
Legitimate enrollment help never charges a fee and never demands Medicare numbers on an inbound call. If a pitch offers both fear and speed, assume a scam and put the phone down.