PeaceHealth has received reports of recent phone scams impacting patients in Whatcom, Skagit and San Juan counties, the hospital network said in a press release. Scammers are pretending to be from PeaceHealth or other health agencies and attempting to steal personal information over the phone.
In the phone calls, the scammers may already have some personal information they collected through other sources to appear legitimate. Another tactic the scammers may use is to manipulate the caller ID to appear that the call is coming from PeaceHealth, the press release said. PeaceHealth wants patients to know that it would never pressure them to provide personal information.
If you receive a suspicious call, hang up immediately and call your healthcare provider’s office directly to verify if there is a legitimate need for any information. To avoid scams, PeaceHealth recommends the following:
– Consider letting unexpected calls or numbers you don’t recognize go to voicemail.
– Do not engage the scammer or call them back if you receive a suspicious voicemail.
– Never give personal or financial data, such as your Social Security number or credit card account number, to callers you don’t know. If they say they have the information and just need you to confirm it, that’s a trick.
– If you feel threatened, call the police.
– You’re encouraged to report any phone scam activity to the Federal Trade Commission.
Read more information from the FTC on how to recognize phone scams here:
bit.ly/36TPvsn.
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