How to protect yourself from "phishing" scams
Published on November 18, 2016
When you enroll in Marketplace health insurance, we’ll send you emails from time to time. Unfortunately, there are some bad actors who may try to scam you with emails that look like they’re from the Marketplace, but are really trying to steal your information or infect your computer with a virus.
The Marketplace works closely with law enforcement to identify, prevent, stop, and prosecute these criminals, and we have strong systems in place to protect your information.
There are also a few important ways you can protect yourself.
Look out for “phishing” emails
“Phishing” (or fraudulent) emails look like they’re from a trusted source and often contain links to a phony login page on a fake website.
The subject lines may be threatening, or may promise some extraordinary benefit.
They may contain bad grammar, spelling errors, and generic greetings, like “Dear Customer.”
The email address doesn’t match the official Marketplace email address, which is Marketplace@healthcare.gov or notices@healthcare.gov. Be sure the email address of any email that claims it’s from the Marketplace ends in “.gov,” as in HealthCare.gov.
If you think you get a “phishing” email
Don’t click the links or download any attachments. They may have malicious code that will infect your computer with viruses or keystroke loggers that record what you type.
Don’t reply to the message. Instead, ignore or delete it.
If you get an email that seems suspicious and you want to verify if you really have an issue you need to act on, visit HealthCare.gov. You can find out if the situation described in the email is accurate. Contact the Marketplace Call Center if you still have questions.
Never share any personal information by email. The Marketplace won’t ask you for your username, password, Social Security Number, or any bank account information by email.
If you’re concerned about your internet connection security, take a few minutes to learn how to make sure it’s secure.
