If offered a complimentary medical service, beware! Offers of "free" medical treatments or consultations often sound appealing and legitimate. They may come in advertising, a telephone solicitation, or even at your front door.

Be careful. Sometimes they are a lure used by scam artists to obtain your patient identification and insurance information to commit health insurance fraud.

Offers of "free" services are often fraud schemes designed to bill you and your insurance company illegally for thousands of dollars of treatments you never received.

Report fraud here:

• List of Private Health Insurer Fraud Contacts
• Medicare Fraud
• Medicaid Fraud
• File a complaint with the State Fraud Bureaus