Lucas County Health Center (LCHC) would like to warn residents about a phone scam after several people have reported receiving “spoof” calls in the last week from someone appearing to work for LCHC.
Caller ID spoofing allows a person to display a phone number different than the actual number from which they are calling. In this instance, someone has spoofed LCHC and is attempting to use a LCHC extension to sell affordable healthcare insurance to the person who answers. LCHC would like to remind residents that they DO NOT sell health insurance and that this is likely a scam.
Additionally, residents are warned of another recent scam that may tie in with the spoofed account scam call. CBS News recently reported that scammers may ask questions such as “Can you hear me?” and “Are you looking for affordable health insurance?” in an effort to get residents to respond with “yes.” They record this answer and use the file of your voice to authorize unwanted charges on bills, credit cards, and more.
To ensure that you are not a victim of a scam call, please follow these tips from the Better Business Bureau.
- Consider not answering unfamiliar numbers. If it is a legitimate call, they will leave a message with a number where you can call them back.
- Don’t be pressured into making fast decisions. Take time to research the organization they claim to represent. This may include telling the caller you will call them back. After you hang up, research a correct phone number and call the business or organization they claim to represent to determine the legitimacy of the call.
- Do not share personal and payment information over the telephone unless you initiated the conversation or confirmed the identity of the caller.
Questions and concerns may be directed to LCHC’s Marketing Manager at (641) 774-3219.