[SeniorTaskForce-News] Senior Task Force: FYI on HHS OIG Hotline Scam

[Rosanna McLain]

For your information.

Rosanna
________________________________
From: Patrick.Harness [mailto:Patrick.Harness at healthalliance.org]
Sent: Tuesday, March 07, 2017 4:26 PM
To: Rosanna McLain
Subject: FW: FYI on HHS OIG Hotline Scam

Please share as appropriate. I also sent to Susan Real. This is a scary one.

PH


From: SMP Program List [mailto:SMP-PROGRAM-LIST at LIST.NIH.GOV] On Behalf Of Simpson, Melissa (ACL/AOA)
Sent: Friday, March 03, 2017 12:25 PM
To: SMP-PROGRAM-LIST at LIST.NIH.GOV<mailto:SMP-PROGRAM-LIST at LIST.NIH.GOV>
Subject: HHS OIG Hotline Scam - need to share & warn our partners asap
Importance: High

A telephone scam in which crooks alter caller ID to make it seem as if the call is coming from the HHS OIG Hotline 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477) to get beneficiaries and members of the public to verify or share personal info which is used to victimize them via financial and other crimes - draining their bank accounts. OIG wants the public to know that HHS OIG will not use the HHS OIG Hotline telephone number to make outgoing calls and individuals should not answer calls from 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477).

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently confirmed that the HHS OIG Hotline telephone number is being used as part of a telephone spoofing scam targeting individuals throughout the country. These scammers represent themselves as HHS OIG Hotline employees and can alter the appearance of the caller ID to make it seem as if the call is coming from the HHS OIG Hotline 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477). The perpetrator may use various tactics to obtain or verify the victim's personal information, which can then be used to steal money from an individual's bank account or for other fraudulent activity. HHS OIG takes this matter seriously. We are actively investigating this matter and intend to have the perpetrators prosecuted.

It is important to know that HHS OIG will not use the HHS OIG Hotline telephone number to make outgoing calls and individuals should not answer calls from 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477). We encourage the public to remain vigilant, protect their personal information, and guard against providing personal information during calls that purport to be from the HHS OIG Hotline telephone number. We also remind the public that it is still safe to call into the HHS OIG Hotline to report fraud.  We particularly encourage those who believe they may have been a victim of the telephone spoofing scam to report that information to us through the HHS OIG Hotline 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477) or spoof at oig.hhs.gov<mailto:spoof at oig.hhs.gov>. Individuals may also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).

Also - here's the link to our Consumer Alerts webpage if you'd like to share that: https://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/consumer-alerts/alerts/phone-scam.asp

________________________________

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