Scammers are pretending to be HHS OIG phone numbers to scam
Source: oig.hhs.go Release Time: 03:59:20 2020-08-13
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) confirmed that the official HHS OIG phone number has been used as part of a deceptive scam targeting individuals across the country. These crooks represent themselves as HHS OIG employees and can change the appearance of the caller ID to make it look as if the call is from the HHS OIG phone number on their public website. Criminals can use various strategies to obtain or verify the victim's personal information, and then use it to steal money from the individual's bank account or conduct other fraudulent activities.
We encourage the public to be vigilant, protect their personal information, and prevent personal information from being provided during calls purporting to be from HHS OIG phone numbers. We also remind the public that they can still call the HHS OIG hotline to report fraud. We especially encourage those who think they may be victims of phone scams to report this information to us through the HHS OIG hotline 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477) or online. Individuals can also complain to the Federal Trade Commission 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).
Do not provide any personal information to unknown individuals, including any of the following information:
1. social security number
2. Date of birth
3. Credit card information
4. Driver's license number
5. Bank account information
6. Mother's maiden name
7. Do not verify your name or any other personal information.
