BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – Some people are receiving texts right now about open enrollment for different health plans.
You need to be careful with these messages because it could be a criminal’s tactic to getting your money and information.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) gets reports of scams similar to this one nearly every day. It’s a message pressuring you to act fast and maybe even get a huge discount that seems too good to be true.
Some people at WBRC got texts showing you could get 50% off your health plan if you call now and you get full coverage with no deductible.
Carl Bates, BBB Serving Central & South Alabama president, says if it sounds too good to be true – it probably is.
The messages don’t even have a company name associated with them. That’s a big hint that it’s probably fake. If it were a real company, they would identify themselves.
Bates says they tend to see open enrollment scams in the fall when it’s open enrollment time so it’s odd people are getting these messages now.
His best guess: criminals are trying to see what works at this point to get your money and information.
“The 888 number, ‘respond to this to call me’ concerns me cause probably when you call, the first thing they’re gonna ask is: ‘Well, can I have your social security?’ Again, personal information, ID theft, trying to get information about you so they can add that to the dossier on you to steal your identity,” Bates explained.
He adds that you should never give out personal information like your social security number or bank account numbers to someone you don’t know over the phone.
If you’re interested in enrolling in a health care program, it’s better to go to a legitimate website rather than answering a random text.
Get news alerts in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store or subscribe to our email newsletter here.
Copyright 2025 WBRC. All rights reserved.