The Health Insurance Marketplace, created under the Affordable Care Act, offers a platform for people to compare and purchase health insurance plans from private insurers. Each year, there’s a designated open enrollment period when individuals can sign up for a new policy or change their existing plan. For the 2025 enrollment period, sign-ups are open from November 1 to January 15, and unfortunately, scammers are already targeting potential enrollees.

Here’s what to watch for as scams ramp up during open enrollment:

• Fake Contacts Through Multiple Channels: Scammers reach out via phone, email, text message, social media, and even pop-up advertisements, pretending to represent legitimate insurance companies or officials from the Health Insurance Marketplace. They may pressure you with urgent-sounding messages to “act now” or risk losing coverage.
• Pressure for Immediate Payment: Real Marketplace officials and health insurance providers will never demand immediate payments in cash, cryptocurrencies, or prepaid gift cards. These payment methods are a common red flag in scams because they’re difficult to trace and retrieve.
• Promises of “Exclusive” Coverage Options: Scammers may entice you with claims of exclusive deals, special discounts, or premium upgrades that aren’t available on the official Health Insurance Marketplace. In reality, all legitimate policies and pricing options are available directly through the Marketplace and can be verified there.