Spike in scams during first days of the Affordable Care Act

State officials are warning residents about a spike in scams during the first few days of the Affordable Care Act.

The state says con artists are posing as insurance companies and trying to hack bank accounts.

One scammer called one Eugene, Mo. resident James Seaton and claimed to be with the government’s Medicare office.

The scammer told Seaton he needed his personal banking information because of the Affordable Care Act changes being implemented. Luckily, Seaton knew better than to just hand over this information.

“They had said they were from Medicare, and that I was going to receive a new Medicare card,” Seaton said. “He got pretty belligerent with me and asked me a second time. I said, ‘No, I will not give you that information.’ That’s when he got mad and hung up on me.”

Seaton knew it was a scammer that he had been on the phone with.

The Missouri Department of Insurance says consumers should be weary of anyone pursing information claiming to be insurance.

“The department strongly encourages consumers not to give out personal or financial information to unsolicited contact. The consumer needs to be the one who actually reaches out to that insurance agent or navigators before they give out any information, ” said spokesman Chris Cline.

Click here to verify the license of a specific insurance agent or navigator.