District Health Department #10 (DHD#10) has learned that scammers have been making phone calls using DHD#10 phone numbers.

 

The scammers claim to be with DHD#10 or a Medicare representative, and are asking for confidential, personal information. These calls are coming from scammers, not District Health Department #10 The scammers are using a technique called caller ID spoofing. They falsify information transmitted to your caller ID to hide their identity. They tend to use a local number or a number from a trusted business, to increase the likelihood that you’ll answer the phone.

 

Residents in both Manistee County, Lake County, and Wexford have reported getting these calls.

 

Because DHD#10 does sometimes contact clients and request personal information, we suggest you hang up immediately, look up the DHD#10 number in your area, and contact us directly to see if we did, in fact, place a call to you for any reason. Do not call back the number from your Caller ID.

 

Other tips to avoid becoming a victim of spoofing:

 

• Don’t answer calls from unknown numbers.

 

• If you answer the phone and you are asked to hit a button to stop getting the calls, hang up.

 

• Do not respond to any questions, especially those that can be answered with “yes” or “no.”

 

• If you get a call from someone who says they represent a company or government agency, and you are suspicious, hang up and call the number in the phone book, or on the company’s or agency’s website.

 

• Use caution if you are pressured for information immediately.