Louisiana Blue Urges Public to Be Aware of Increased Fraud, Scams During Annual Enrollment Periods

BATON ROUGE, La. - Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana (Louisiana Blue) is getting increased reports of fraud and scams targeting people who are trying to sign up for their 2026 health plans. 

“Unfortunately, we see more fraudulent activity during annual enrollment periods. People are in the mindset of looking for healthcare coverage, and that can make it easier for someone pretending to represent a health insurer, doctor’s office or government health agency to trick them into sharing money, health information or other sensitive information,” said Kandyce Cowart, Louisiana Blue Special Investigations manager. 

A common scam people have reported to Louisiana Blue recently is spoofed phone numbers. Scammers set up a number one digit off from a real Louisiana Blue customer service line. When members dial the number thinking they are reaching Louisiana Blue, they get a message about a special offer they need to “act now!” to take advantage of. Offers include buying $100 gift cards at a discount, signing up for programs and services at a reduced price, or winning a prize that they need to pay shipping charges for. The members are asked to enter their credit or debit card information for the offer while waiting on hold to speak with a customer service representative. This gives the scammers access to their financial information. 

Other Louisiana Blue members have reported spoofed websites, which look very similar to real enrollment sites but are meant to trick people into entering their financial or heath information. 

“It’s very important to be extremely careful whenever you dial a phone number or type in a website address because we know scammers take advantage of people being in a hurry and try to trick them,” Cowart said. “Trust your gut – if something feels off or you are not sure you entered information correctly, hang up, close the web browser and try again. Be very suspicious if you get any ‘special offers’ that are pressuring you to act quickly, before you have a chance to think it through.” 

In general, people should be suspicious of any requests for their personal, financial or health information, especially if it’s unexpected. 

“Louisiana Blue will not cold call you to ask for your information, and we will not make you special offers you have to pay extra for when you contact us by phone or through our website,” Cowart said. “It’s also important to be suspicious if someone reaches out claiming to be from your doctor’s office and asks you to pay for something or share sensitive information. If you’re in doubt, hang up and call the office at a trusted number to make sure they really need this.” 

Louisiana Blue members who think they have been a victim of fraud or had an attempted scam can make reports to the insurer’s Fraud Hotline at 1-800-392-9249.  You can also report fraud at Tips.FBI.Gov or IC3.Gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324).

Cowart shares more tips for how to recognize and avoid fraud or common scams in this video (7:34).

Connect with an Agent for Help Enrolling in a Health Plan
If you are trying to enroll in a HealthCare.gov or other health plan and are concerned about knowing which sites or numbers are legitimate, you can get help from a licensed, experienced agent. Agents will not cold call you – you can contact them by calling 1-844-GET-BLUE or visiting lablue.com. An agent will compare your health plan options and show you how to enroll for 2026 coverage. It does not cost anything to work with an agent, and there is no obligation to buy or enroll in a health plan because you speak to one. 

About Louisiana Blue
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, or Louisiana Blue, is committed to our mission to improve the health and lives of Louisianans. Founded in New Orleans in 1934, we are a tax-paying, not-for-profit health insurer with offices in every major region of Louisiana to serve our customers. We have been recognized for the past seven years as an honoree of The Civic 50, named by Points of Light as one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States. J.D. Power's 2025 U.S. Commercial Member Health Plan Satisfaction Study ranked us #1 in member satisfaction among commercial health plans in the East South Central Region. Louisiana Blue also was nationally recognized for exceptional customer service by USA Today's America's Best Customer Service 2025.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. We invite all Louisianans to visit our website at lablue.com or talk to us on social media @MyLouisianaBlue.