Medical Alert Phone Scams Targeting Seniors and Elderly
Author: Medical Guardian
Published: 2013/07/04 - Updated: 2026/01/25
Publication Type: Informative
Category Topic: Recalls, Warnings, Advisories - Related Publications
Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates
Synopsis: This report documents a consumer fraud pattern affecting older adults through deceptive telemarketing practices involving personal emergency response systems. The information comes directly from Medical Guardian, a legitimate medical alert provider with over 30 years of industry experience, and references FBI data on medical equipment fraud targeting senior citizens. This warning proves particularly valuable for elderly individuals, family caregivers, and disability advocates because it exposes the specific tactics scammers use - including robo-calls falsely claiming to represent established companies, offers of "free" equipment that later results in unauthorized charges, and the delivery of products from different companies than promised. The detailed account of actual customer experiences provides concrete examples that help vulnerable populations recognize and avoid these predatory schemes before financial harm occurs - Disabled World (DW).
Introduction
According to the FBI's website, fraud involving medical equipment is one of the most prevalent scams for senior citizens. They go on to note that these scams usually involve equipment manufacturers offering free products to individuals and then charged for products that were not needed and/or may not have been delivered.
Main Content
In recent weeks, many seniors have reported experiencing this exact scam with robo-calls from fraudulent companies claiming to be Medical Guardian.
These scammers use the Medical Guardian name and reputation to trick seniors into signing up for services they either don't need or already have. Medical Guardian customers have reported that the robo-callers identify themselves as being Medical Guardian representatives offering to send them free equipment.
"We're very concerned about this scam," said Grant Eckert, Director of Marketing for Medical Guardian. "We don't want this to cast a negative light on a service that helps protect thousands of Americans each year."
One customer reported receiving a second box, supposedly from Medical Guardian, but marked with the logo for another company. After much confusion, they learned that they had fallen for the scam and are attempting to get their money back from the other company.
Other customers have called in, angry that they seem to be getting a relentless amount of phone calls from Medical Guardian.
"Our trade association, the Medical Alert Monitoring Association, has been aggressively pursuing these scammers," said Geoff Gross, Medical Guardian CEO. "We're not the only company that these frauds have been using in their scam and we're determined to put an end to this."
Medical Guardian is a leading provider of Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) and has helped provide peace of mind to older Americans and their loved ones for over 30 years. From the beginning, Medical Guardian's mission has been to provide seniors with access to affordable and reliable senior alert systems. Thousands of Americans across the country now enjoy a renewed sense of independence, and their loved ones have the peace of mind knowing that help is always just a push of a button away.
Insights, Analysis, and Developments
Editorial Note: The persistence of medical alert scams reveals a troubling reality about how fraudsters exploit the genuine safety concerns of older adults and people with disabilities. While personal emergency response systems serve as legitimate lifelines for millions of Americans living independently, scammers weaponize the very fears these devices are meant to address. The involvement of industry trade associations in pursuing these criminals demonstrates the broader impact on legitimate providers whose reputations suffer collateral damage. For seniors and their families navigating these waters, the safest approach remains direct contact with established companies through verified phone numbers or websites - never responding to unsolicited calls, regardless of how convincing they sound. As these schemes evolve and scammers adopt increasingly sophisticated impersonation tactics, ongoing vigilance and consumer education remain the strongest defenses against predatory practices that specifically target our most vulnerable populations - Disabled World (DW).Attribution/Source(s): This quality-reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by Medical Guardian and published on 2013/07/04, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.