Fake Medicare Advantage open enrollment / AEP urgency lure with a deadline and non-.gov link or phone number — real Medicare enrollment communications come from medicare.gov (CMS) and licensed agents following CMS marketing guidelines.

Fake Medicare Advantage open enrollment / Annual Enrollment Period (AEP: Oct 15–Dec 7) or Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment (MA-OEP: Jan 1–Mar 31) urgency lure with a deadline and non-.gov link or unverified phone number. "Medicare Advantage open enrollment is closing — switch plans now before the deadline or lose your coverage." The link or phone number does NOT go to medicare.gov or a .gov domain. Real Medicare enrollment communications come from medicare.gov (CMS), official Medicare Advantage plan carriers (verified insurer domains), or licensed insurance agents who must follow strict CMS marketing guidelines (42 CFR §422.2268). Cold inbound email with enrollment-deadline urgency and non-.gov links is a frequent Medicare fraud vector targeting seniors. Detection: Medicare Advantage/Part C/D/MA plan vocabulary + enrollment period/switch-now urgency + off-brand href (not .gov) + sender NOT on medicare.gov/cms.gov/.gov + no In-Reply-To + no List-Unsubscribe. Source: GC1-R17; OIG Medicare marketing fraud advisory 2025; FTC Medicare impostor scam report.