DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (WLVT) — Contact tracers are calling hundreds of people each day in Pennsylvania to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
But, as the Bucks County Office of Consumer Protection warns, there are some imposters to look out for.
"They may contact you by cell phone, by email, by text message saying that you’ve come in contact with someone who has the virus," Mike Bannon, director of the consumer protection office, told PBS39. "In some cases, there’s a link in the text message, and it asks you to follow the link. Do not follow that link! If you click on it, it’s very likely that it’ll download malware or spyware on whatever device you’re using."
Adam Levin, who heads up cybersecurity firm CyberScout and is the former director of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, explained what the posers want.
"This is like El Dorado. For them, the real gold is your Social Security number, your financial information and your driver's license information. Even your health information can help them re-create you," Levin told PBS39. "It’s like tiles in a mosaic. The more tiles they can get, the more they can impersonate you."
HOW CONTACT TRACING WORKS
According to the state Department of Health, within 24 hours of receiving the positive result, trained public health staff conduct an interview with the newly confirmed COVID-19 case to obtain a list of close contacts they had while infectious.
Then contact tracers, both trained staff and volunteers, reach out to those close contacts to educate, inform and support those who had a known close contact with a positive individual through phone calls and text messages. Some messages may include emails and mail to the person's address.
A contact tracer may ask:
- For verification of your date of birth, address, and any other phone numbers you may have
- If you have already tested positive for COVID-19, they may ask for the date and location of where you were tested
A contact tracer will NEVER ask you for:
- Your Social Security number, financial or bank account information, or personal details unrelated to your potential exposure to someone with COVID-19
- Photographs or videos of any kind
- Passwords
- Money or payment
KEEPING IT CONFIDENTIAL
Contact tracers will not say who exposed them to keep their information confidential.
"If they give you the name of the person who is supposedly infected, then you'll know that there's something wrong," said Levin. "Under law, they're not supposed to identify the person who has the infection."
Levin says the posers may spoof or copy the number of legitimate health agencies.
"The number may come up as a real government agency," warned Levin. "They’re going to sound very convincing, too."
Bannon recommends verifying that the person contacting you is in fact a contact tracer.
"Take their information down, don’t panic, and confirm it, first," he advised. "That’s the key to not getting scammed."
You can verify the identity of a contact tracer by calling the state Department of Health at 1-877-PA-HEALTH.