TLDR
Scammers buy search ads to impersonate official government health insurance websites. When consumers search for Medicare or ACA enrollment, fraud sites can appear at the top of results, tricking users into sharing personal data or paying...
How it works
Scammers buy search ads to impersonate official government health insurance websites. When consumers search for Medicare or ACA enrollment, fraud sites can appear at the top of results, tricking users into sharing personal data or paying...
Red flags
- The URL is not a .gov domain (e.g., a .com or .net address instead) The page asks for payment or a credit card for a "free" government program The site requests sensitive data like your SSN or bank details before any eligibility check
What to do
- 1Type the official URL directly into your browser (medicare.gov, healthcare.gov, ssa.gov) Bookmark the real government site and use the bookmark every time you need it Report fake or suspicious sites to ReportFraud.ftc.gov and your state insurance commissioner
Source
ftc-consumer-blog
Source reviewed by Mythos Forensic Team
https://consumer.ftc.gov/%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2026/06/searching-health-insurance-keep-scrolling-avoid-government-impersonators%22%20hreflang%3D%22en%22%3Eview%3C/a%3EFAQ
Is Searching for health insurance? Avoid government impersonator scam sites a real scam pattern?
Yes. Treat the message, call, or payment request as suspicious until you verify it through an official channel.
What are the first warning signs?
The URL is not a .gov domain (e.g., a .com or .net address instead) The page asks for payment or a credit card for a "free" government program The site requests sensitive data like your SSN or bank details before any eligibility check
What should I do first?
Type the official URL directly into your browser (medicare.gov, healthcare.gov, ssa.gov) Bookmark the real government site and use the bookmark every time you need it Report fake or suspicious sites to ReportFraud.ftc.gov and your state insurance commissioner
Can LegalAudit check my case?
Yes. Start a free chat and paste the message, link, sender, or payment details for triage.