Scammers Are Posing As COVID-19 Contact Tracers, City Attorney Mike Feuer Warns
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Los Angeles' lead attorney Mike Feuer is warning about an emerging scam involving contact-tracing impersonators.
"As we have seen time and again since the pandemic began, there is a host of dishonest opportunists preying on fear, panic and uncertainty," he noted, explaining that the latest appears to involve scammers posing as contact tracers.
"They may start off talking about the virus but then they ask you for social security numbers or bank information. They may text you a link and when you click on it, it may download software to your phone that can steal your data," he warned.
Feuer says a legitimate contact tracer will never ask for one's social security number, financial information, nor health insurance information, and never charge a fee.
Rather, actual contact tracers will ask about symptoms, discuss infection risk and self-quarantining, and from there will connect individuals to free, confidential testing regardless of income or immigration status.
Those who suspect that they have been targeted by this scam should call Feuer's office at (213) 978-8070.