Health officials warn of scammers as they attempt to trace COVID-19
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — State health officials offered a warning Wednesday afternoon. While they make thousands of calls daily to trace the spread of COVID-19, scammers are out fishing for your personal data.
It’s perhaps the newest scam in the book with predators using the pandemic to get your personal information.
While Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) officials said responding to their calls and texts is vital to keep people safe, they want you to be able to spot the difference between their calls and calls from strangers.
There are more than 500 contact tracers whose job it is to reach out to every Hoosier who tests positive for the coronavirus. They find out every person they’ve had close contact with who might also test positive, then contact those people to get them in quarantine and prevent further spread of the virus.
“Participating in this contact tracing is the best way that you can help protect yourself and those around you,” said State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box.
She said contact tracers will send out text messages first. It tells you to call them at a special 800 number between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. and if no one answers, leave a voicemail.
The legitimate text will have no link to click on, only the phone number.
If you don’t respond, contact tracers will start calling you after four hours.
But Dr. Box said Wednesday reports are coming in of scammers trying to profit. They’re sending messages too.
But they look different and according to the Federal Trade Commission, many of them have embedded text in the message to click on.
Officials are urging Hoosiers not to click on that text. That can download software onto your phone and give scammers access to your personal information.
“I want to assure you that ISDH contact tracers are only asking for information related to COVID-19 symptoms and to people you’ve been in contact with,” Dr. Box said.
That information does not include social security numbers, bank accounts or any financial data.
Contact tracing is one of four keys to reopening the state, so Dr. Box asks people to please respond to them, but not the bad guys.
“If you get a call from someone claiming to be from the ISDH who asks other questions, please let us know,” she said.
Dr. Box said Wednesday there are already almost 2,800 cases in their system.
She adds they have the capacity to make up to 7,500 calls a day and so far have met their goal of getting to everyone within 24 hours of their positive test.