NATCHEZ — Retired nurse Mary Ann Huffman realized that something was wrong when after a month of waiting for $3,000 worth of medical equipment, she had yet to receive it.

“They called me wanting to bill Medicare for a pain free diabetic machine to check my blood sugar and a breathing machine,” Huffman said. “After a month I called and found out Medicare had been billed for the products that I never received.”

Come July, she has still not received the products she was promised back in April, and Medicare can do nothing about it.

“Medicare gave me a number to call the people behind this,” Huffman said, “But they said, ‘until you return the merchandise, we can’t help you.’”

Medicare scams like this are becoming one of the hottest scams in the country, according to Janet McNeely, chairperson of Triad. So she led a Forum tonight at Council Chambers to educate Natchez on scams such as this, and more.

“If you are called by someone wanting to sell you medical equipment,” McNeely said. “Ask yourself if your doctor ordered it. And remember to treat your Medicare number like a credit card. Don’t give it to just anyone promising free medical equipment.”

If you purchase anything off the Internet, be sure to look for the “https://” in the top field, Director of Community Development Darlene Jones said.

“The ‘s’ in it means that the site is secure,” said Jones. “If it doesn’t have that ‘s’, don’t put any of your information into those fields.”

Identity thieves have an unlimited number of scams to work you over with, McNeely said.

“They will pose as your landlord, your employer — all over the phone — and you think they have a right to this information. They could be pretending to be someone at a desk at United Mississippi Bank,” McNeely said.

McNeely warns to be wary of any phone call that offers something too good to be true, like a free vacation or money. The thieves will even offer prizes, if you will only donate to a charity.

Traveling con-artists have also established a base in Mississippi, McNeely said.

“‘Irish Traveler’ con-artists will go door to door offering to fix things for a price,” McNeely said. “But then when they get your money, they will run even if the job isn’t finished or started.”

Be sure to always check businesses or even charities you come in contact with through the Better Business Bureau of Mississippi, McNeely said.

“The Better Business Bureau will quickly let you know if a business is legit, or if there are any complaints against them,” McNeely said.

The scammer does not necessarily have to be someone behind a computer screen that you’ll never see.

“A lot of people who steal from us are close to us,” Jones said. “Remember that your neighbor might know your pets name, if you type it in as your password.”

Take identity theft seriously, McNeely warns, and be sure to keep up with your credit report and to be careful with how you give out your information.

“Identity thieves can open up new mailing addresses in your name, new phone numbers and get new cards,” McNeely said. “Once they get you, it takes an average of seven years to clear your name.”