$12.5B
FTC-reported fraud losses in 2024
FTC says consumers reported losing $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024.
telehealth prescription scam
Fraudulent telehealth operations prescribe unnecessary medications or treatments after sham consultations, then bill insurance for inflated costs or sell patient data.
“Medicare scam”
↑ 71%Key indicators
Usually targetsPatients
Often hitsTech workers and developers
Common regionUnited States
Last updated2026-04-04
Estimated impact
$960
median reported loss
Typical range$60 – $6.0K
Recovery rate~15%
Scam breakdown
1
Fraudulent telehealth companies recruit patients through social media ads promising easy prescription access
2
Brief or nonexistent consultations are conducted to justify billing insurance for expensive services
3
Prescriptions for unnecessary medications are issued, and insurance is billed for comprehensive visits that never happened
What to do first
Use only telehealth services affiliated with licensed healthcare systems or recommended by your physician
Related terms
fake telehealth servicesham online doctortelemedicine billing fraudMedicare and health scamsWebsiteRisingPatientsSeniorsMedicare beneficiariesTech workers and developersHealthcare workersRetirees and seniorsUnited Statesfake telehealth servicesham online doctor
Real-world example
How this scam plays out in practice
Based on reported patterns. Names and details are illustrative.
The setup
Sarah, 35, a patients, encountered what appeared to be a legitimate medicare and health scams situation while using Website. Fraudulent telehealth companies recruit patients through social media ads promising easy prescription access
Step 2
What happened next was calculated: Brief or nonexistent consultations are conducted to justify billing insurance for expensive services
Step 3
The pressure escalated quickly: Prescriptions for unnecessary medications are issued, and insurance is billed for comprehensive visits that never happened
The outcome
Sarah realized something was wrong when telehealth service offers prescriptions for controlled substances without a proper medical evaluation. By that point, significant damage had already been done — money sent, personal information shared, or trust exploited.
The lesson
Use only telehealth services affiliated with licensed healthcare systems or recommended by your physician Sarah's experience shows why telehealth service offers prescriptions for controlled substances without a proper medical evaluation and consultation lasts only seconds or consists of a pre-filled questionnaire with no real doctor interaction are the clearest early warning signs.
How to identify it
- Telehealth service offers prescriptions for controlled substances without a proper medical evaluation
- Consultation lasts only seconds or consists of a pre-filled questionnaire with no real doctor interaction
- Service requires your insurance details upfront and charges for consultations that did not occur
- Pause before paying, clicking, or sharing information. Scammers rely on speed.
- Verify the sender, company, or agency using a phone number or website you already know is legitimate.
- Treat secrecy, urgency, and off-platform payment requests as strong scam signals.
What to do now
- ✓Use only telehealth services affiliated with licensed healthcare systems or recommended by your physician
- ✓Verify any telehealth provider's license through your state medical board
- ✓Review your insurance statements for telehealth charges and report any you do not recognize
What to save before reporting
- ✓Save the message, profile, phone number, email, or URL that was used.
- ✓Keep payment confirmations, receipts, and account alerts before you dispute or delete anything.
- ✓Write down the timeline while the details are still fresh.
How big is this problem
You are not alone — this scam affects millions of people.
These numbers come from government agencies and official reports. If you have been affected, know that this is a widespread problem — not something that only happens to careless people.
FTC 2024 fraud losses
Imposters
Most common FTC fraud category in 2024
FTC says imposter scams remained the most commonly reported fraud category in 2024.
History and evolution
- This scam family tends to persist because the social-engineering pressure works even when the exact scripts, platforms, and payment methods change.
- The specific packaging evolves over time, but the core pattern usually stays the same: create urgency, control the channel, and push action before verification.
- The DOJ has charged telehealth company executives in schemes billing Medicare for over 1.1 billion USD in fraudulent claims through sham telemedicine consultations
Recovery and follow-up
- ✓Save the messages, receipts, account alerts, and transaction details before you block or delete anything.
- ✓Report the scam through the official platform or government channel that best matches where it happened.
- ✓Use only telehealth services affiliated with licensed healthcare systems or recommended by your physician
- ✓Verify any telehealth provider's license through your state medical board
- ✓Review your insurance statements for telehealth charges and report any you do not recognize
Why this pattern keeps working
Even when the story changes, most scams still use the same pressure pattern: urgency, authority, and a request to move money or data fast.
The DOJ has charged telehealth company executives in schemes billing Medicare for over 1.1 billion USD in fraudulent claims through sham telemedicine consultations
FBI IC3 2024
Where to report it
If you have been targeted by this scam, reporting it helps authorities track the pattern and protect others. United States has dedicated agencies that handle fraud reports.
ReportFraud.gov
Federal Trade Commission
Central U.S. consumer fraud reporting portal.
File an IC3 complaint
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center
FBI portal for internet-enabled crime reports.
Start identity theft recovery
IdentityTheft.gov
Official U.S. identity theft recovery plan builder.
Explore further
Understand the bigger picture
Who is most at risk
Who this scam targets
Primary targets
Patients, Seniors, Medicare beneficiaries
Geographic concentration
United States
Primary channel
Website — Medicare and health scams
Why this group is vulnerable
Patients are particularly vulnerable because this scam exploits trust in familiar brands, authority figures, and time-sensitive decisions. The growing number of reports suggests that awareness among this demographic remains low.
Sources and methodology
How we verify this information
OpenScam tracks scam patterns using a combination of government consumer protection databases (FTC, IC3, Action Fraud), platform-specific fraud reports, and verified consumer complaint data. Each entry is cross-referenced against at least two independent sources before publication.
Severity ratings are based on financial impact potential, reversibility of damage, and volume of reports across multiple reporting channels. Trend velocity reflects the rate of change in report volume over the most recent 90-day window.
This page was last verified on 2026-04-04. Red flags, recovery steps, and reporting resources are reviewed quarterly against current agency guidance.
Evidence and indicators
- The DOJ has charged telehealth company executives in schemes billing Medicare for over 1.1 billion USD in fraudulent claims through sham telemedicine consultations
Source notes
- FBI IC3 2024
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about telehealth prescription scam
How does the telehealth prescription scam work?+
Fraudulent telehealth companies recruit patients through social media ads promising easy prescription access Brief or nonexistent consultations are conducted to justify billing insurance for expensive services Prescriptions for unnecessary medications are issued, and insurance is billed for comprehensive visits that never happened
What are the warning signs of telehealth prescription scam?+
Telehealth service offers prescriptions for controlled substances without a proper medical evaluation Consultation lasts only seconds or consists of a pre-filled questionnaire with no real doctor interaction Service requires your insurance details upfront and charges for consultations that did not occur
What should I do if I encounter telehealth prescription scam?+
Use only telehealth services affiliated with licensed healthcare systems or recommended by your physician Verify any telehealth provider's license through your state medical board Review your insurance statements for telehealth charges and report any you do not recognize
Who is most at risk for telehealth prescription scam?+
This scam primarily targets Patients, Seniors, Medicare beneficiaries. It is most commonly reported in United States and typically appears on Website.
Is telehealth prescription scam on the rise?+
telehealth prescription scam is currently on the rise with growing reports. It has been reported across US. Last updated 2026-04-04.
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Help someone avoid this scam.
Scammers succeed because people do not talk about it. If you or someone you know has been affected, there is no shame in it — it happens to millions of people every year. Share this page with friends and family so they know what to look for.
Relevant collections