The article argues that August is an important time to reduce exposure to benefit-related scams because fraudsters may compile and refine target lists well before Medicare Open Enrolment and Social Security announcements in October. It says the calls, offers and warnings people receive in autumn can be the final stage of a longer process using consumer data to identify vulnerable or responsive individuals.

Medicare Open Enrolment runs from 15 October to 7 December, while the 2027 Social Security cost-of-living adjustment is expected to be announced in October after inflation data is released. The article cites US Justice Department cases involving marketing-data companies: Epsilon’s database covered about 100 million households, and lists it supplied were linked to fraud affecting more than 218,000 victims and over $23.7 million in losses; Epsilon paid $150 million to resolve the case. It also notes penalties involving other firms, including KBM Group, to illustrate how consumer lists can support fraud operations.