MCALLEN – On Monday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began mailing out new cards to its recipients.

A representative of the Better Business Bureau says if you aren’t careful during the mailing period you might still become a victim.

Carlene Buck said warm weather brought her and her husband to the Rio Grande Valley three years ago.

She said they made sure to bring their Medicare cards along for the ride.  Buck explained when it comes to Medicare, she likes to play it safe.

“For me, it’s guarding my information as best I can. Unless it’s necessary, you don’t carry that information with you,” Buck told CHANNEL 5 NEWS.

But like many Medicare recipients, Buck said she was unaware she will soon receive a new Medicare card.

Robert Obregon with the Better Business Bureau says crooks never take a day off.

“Those scammers out there are going to be trying to get your new number. And It wouldn’t surprise me if some people mailboxes get broken into, especially in these senior communities,” he said.

Obregon explained if a thief got their hands on one of the cards, they could get medical services in the recipient’s name.

He said that can lead to debt and a loss of Medicare benefits for the recipient.  Obregon said until you receive your card you should be on the lookout.

“You need to continue to be vigilant with your Medicare summary notice. Make sure you look it over, and if you see something that – or a charge for a service that you did not receive, by all means, report it to CMS,” he explained.

Obregon adds it will take CMS one year to mail all the new cards to the 44 million Medicare recipients in the U.S.

Buck said she’ll make sure she and her husband meet their mailman at their mailbox every day until they receive their cards. She said she plans on telling all her neighbors to do the same.

Obregon said the new cards will no longer have recipient’s social security numbers on them.

Instead, every recipient is receiving a new ID number to better protect against identity theft.