My friend might've been scammed by a fake insurance rep

[Shelly]

A friend of mine thought she was signing up through Covered California, but she called a number she found online and ended up with a PPO plan from First Health Insurance. The person on the phone said it was a subsidiary of Aetna. Now she can't find any doctors who take it, and we're barely finding anything useful when we Google either First Health Insurance or the number she dialed. She's already frozen her credit and locked her bank accounts, but we're still unsure if the plan is even real.

 

[mandarin.orange]

A friend of mine thought she was signing up through Covered California, but she called a number she found online and ended up with a PPO plan from First Health Insurance. The person on the phone said it was a subsidiary of Aetna. Now she can't find any doctors who take it, and we're barely finding anything useful when we Google either First Health Insurance or the number she dialed. She's already frozen her credit and locked her bank accounts, but we're still unsure if the plan is even real.

Yikes, that sounds super sketchy. Definitely have her report it to Covered California and maybe the state insurance board too. If the plan is real, they should be able to verify it fast. If not... well, you know.

 

[WM.Genee]

A friend of mine thought she was signing up through Covered California, but she called a number she found online and ended up with a PPO plan from First Health Insurance. The person on the phone said it was a subsidiary of Aetna. Now she can't find any doctors who take it, and we're barely finding anything useful when we Google either First Health Insurance or the number she dialed. She's already frozen her credit and locked her bank accounts, but we're still unsure if the plan is even real.

That's really concerning!
First Health PPO is a real network and a subsidiary of Aetna but it's not typically a D2C health insurance plan like those found on Covered California.
I've heard about a few people calling numbers they found online, especially outside of official marketplace sites, and ending up with plans that are not major medical insurance.
What they got instead were like discount plans, limited benefit plans, or association health plans that offer very little actual coverage.
But anyway, since you can't find any doctors or more information, that's really a red flag.
Tell your friend to contact her state's Department of Insurance or Insurance Commissioner's office.
They can verify if the plan she enrolled in is a licensed health insurance policy in your state and investigate deceptive sales practices.
Also, she should try to get a copy of the actual policy document, not just what was said on the phone.
This will outline exactly what is covered and what isn't.
She might need to dispute the charges with her bank as well, citing potential fraud or misrepresentation.
This is a tough situation, but getting the state insurance department involved is the most crucial next step!

 

[TiffanyS]

A friend of mine thought she was signing up through Covered California, but she called a number she found online and ended up with a PPO plan from First Health Insurance. The person on the phone said it was a subsidiary of Aetna. Now she can't find any doctors who take it, and we're barely finding anything useful when we Google either First Health Insurance or the number she dialed. She's already frozen her credit and locked her bank accounts, but we're still unsure if the plan is even real.

goodness, this smells exactly like a scam, often a 'lead gen' or outright fake insurance scheme.
If she gave them any money, she needs to contact her bank/credit card company IMMEDIATELY to dispute the charges, stating it was a fraudulent transaction. Beyond Aetna and Covered California, she should also report this to the NAIC, her state's Department of Insurance, and the FTC