Officials have begun making residents aware of the new Medicare cards that are designed to avoid identity theft and combat fraud.

By the end of November, approximately 1.3 million new cards will be mailed to Arizonans on Medicare, announced Greg Dill of the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services during a Thursday press conference.

Randomly assigned alphanumeric identifiers will replace Social Security numbers on the cards. The new cards will also come with instructions on how to use them, with benefits of the cards remaining the same.

“Social Security numbers have been removed from Medicare cards to prevent identity theft, to stop crooks from using Medicare benefits illegally and to protect tax dollars,” Dill said. 

Dill said people should ensure that the Social Security Administration has their correct mailing addresses through their online account or by calling 1-800-772-1213.

The cards began being mailed last week and might not end up arriving until the end of November.

Customers can check if their card has been mailed by visiting MyMedicare.gov. If it hasn’t arrived by Thanksgiving, report it by calling 1-800-MEDICARE.

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich said the previous version of the cards that bear social security numbers should be shredded before being discarded.

Brnovich also suggested to share the new number only with medical providers and warned of phone scammers trying to get information that could be used for fraud or identity theft.

“Medicare officials will not call you and ask for your new number or ask for your personal information,” Brnovich said. “Never give out your personal or financial information to somebody you don’t know over the phone.” 

Brnovich also emphasized that the cards are free, so if anybody tries to charge for one then it’s a scam.