Cologuard Scam Calls Targeting Seniors: What to Know

Cologuard — the at-home colon cancer screening test made by Exact Sciences — is widely covered by Medicare for adults 45 and older. That legitimacy is exactly why scammers are exploiting it.

A growing pattern of fraud involves callers impersonating Cologuard or Medicare representatives, offering to send a "free" Cologuard kit to elderly patients. The real goal is not to screen for cancer. It is to capture Medicare numbers, Social Security numbers, and billing information that can be used for identity theft and fraudulent medical billing.

If your parent has received an unsolicited call about a Cologuard kit — or if one arrived in the mail without a doctor's order — this post explains what happened and what to do.

How the Cologuard Scam Works

Step 1: The Unsolicited Call

A caller identifies themselves as a representative from Cologuard, Medicare, or a "Medicare-approved health screening service." They tell your parent that because of their age, they qualify for a free or low-cost colon cancer screening that will be sent directly to their home.

This sounds plausible because Medicare Part B does cover Cologuard once every three years for eligible patients. Seniors who know this are less likely to question the call.

Step 2: The Information Harvest

To "send the kit" or "verify coverage," the caller asks for:

• Medicare ID number (the 11-character code on the Medicare card)
• Social Security number, for "identity verification"
• Date of birth and home address
• Sometimes, a credit or debit card number for an "insurance co-pay" that will be "refunded after processing"

Once this information is given, the scammer has everything needed to submit fraudulent Medicare claims for medical services your parent never received, open accounts in their name, or sell the data to other criminal operations.

Step 3: The Kit May or May Not Arrive

In some cases, a kit does arrive — it may be a knockoff, an expired test, or a legitimate Cologuard kit purchased through fraudulent insurance billing. The arrival of a kit is not evidence that the call was legitimate. It is part of the cover.

In other cases, nothing arrives, and the scammer simply moves on to the next victim.

Why Seniors Are Targeted Specifically

Cologuard is a Medicare-covered benefit, and Medicare is a program specifically for people 65 and older (and some younger people with disabilities). That demographic overlap makes this scam highly targeted. Seniors are more likely to:

• Have heard of Cologuard through legitimate Medicare communications
• Be in the age range where colorectal cancer screening is genuinely recommended
• Trust a medical-sounding caller with a legitimate product name
• Not immediately question why a screening kit would arrive without a doctor's involvement

The scammers know this, and they use the product's legitimacy as camouflage.

Red Flags That Identify This Scam

The call was unsolicited. Legitimate Cologuard kits are ordered by a doctor. Cologuard (Exact Sciences) does not call patients directly to solicit participation. If your parent did not ask their doctor about this test, no legitimate kit should be arriving.

They asked for your Medicare number over the phone. Medicare will never call you to ask for your Medicare number. Real Medicare communications arrive by mail. Any caller asking for a Medicare ID number by phone — regardless of the reason given — is attempting fraud.

They mentioned a co-pay that would be "refunded." This is a common tactic to obtain credit card information. Legitimate Medicare billing does not work this way, and legitimate screenings do not require upfront payment that gets refunded.

Pressure to act quickly. Scammers create urgency: "This offer expires at the end of the month" or "We need to verify before your coverage resets." Medicare benefits do not expire through inaction, and real healthcare providers do not use expiration pressure tactics.

The caller ID showed "Medicare" or "Cologuard." Caller ID spoofing is trivial. A number that appears to be from the government or a legitimate company is not evidence that the call is real.

What Legitimate Cologuard Use Actually Looks Like

A real Cologuard process works like this:

1. Your parent's doctor orders the test during a scheduled office visit or telehealth appointment
2. Exact Sciences ships the kit directly to your parent's home
3. Your parent completes the sample collection at home and ships it back in the prepaid box
4. Results go to the ordering doctor, who reviews them with the patient
5. Medicare billing is handled between Exact Sciences and Medicare — your parent's Medicare number is already on file with their doctor and does not need to be re-provided over the phone

If a Cologuard kit arrives without a known doctor's order, call your parent's primary care physician's office before opening or using it. Ask whether they ordered it.

What to Do If Your Parent Was Called

If they did not give any information: Report the call at reportfraud.ftc.gov and ask your parent to block the number. No further action is required.

If they gave their Medicare number: Contact Medicare immediately at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). Ask them to flag the account for suspicious activity and to review any recent claims. Consider requesting a new Medicare card with a new ID number — this is possible and free.

If they gave their Social Security number: Report identity theft at identitytheft.gov. Place a credit freeze at all three bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) to prevent new accounts from being opened in their name. This is free and reversible.

If they gave a credit or debit card number: Contact the bank or card issuer immediately to report the transaction as fraudulent and request a new card number.

If you notice unfamiliar medical claims on their Medicare summary: Medicare sends an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) document called a Medicare Summary Notice every three months. Review it carefully for services, equipment, or tests your parent never received. Report suspicious claims to the Medicare fraud hotline: 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477).

Proactive Protection: Lock Down the Medicare Number

The Medicare card number — called the Medicare Beneficiary Identifier, or MBI — functions like a Social Security number for healthcare fraud purposes. Protecting it is as important as protecting the SSN itself.

Do not carry the Medicare card in a wallet. Make a photocopy and carry that instead, or store a photo of it on a password-protected phone. If the physical card is lost, report it and get a replacement.

Know what Medicare will and will not do. Medicare will not call to offer free equipment or tests. Medicare will not ask you to confirm your number to "keep your benefits active." Any caller claiming otherwise is not Medicare.

Register for a Medicare.gov account. At Medicare.gov, your parent can create a login and monitor their claims directly — rather than waiting for a quarterly mailed summary. This makes it much easier to spot unauthorized billing quickly.

The Broader Pattern: Medical Device Scams

Cologuard is one of several legitimate medical products that scammers impersonate. Similar scams have used:

• Knee braces, back braces, and compression stockings
• Continuous glucose monitors (CGM)
• Genetic cancer screening tests (similar to Cologuard)
• CPAP machines

The mechanics are identical: a legitimate Medicare-covered product, an unsolicited call, an information request, and fraudulent billing. If your parent receives any unsolicited call about a medical device or screening — regardless of the product name — apply the same skepticism as you would to any cold call.

Protecting a parent's Medicare number is one piece of a larger system. The Elder Scam Shield guide includes a full medical identity protection checklist, scripts for talking to Medicare about suspected fraud, and step-by-step instructions for setting up the account monitoring that catches unauthorized claims before they become a bigger problem.