Daily Journal file photo
Scammers are manipulating the caller ID function on phones to make it appear that FirstHealth is calling, and then asking for personal information that the hospital would not request over the phone.
ROCKINGHAM — FirstHealth of the Carolinas has reported an ongoing phone scam targeting its clients across the region which seeks to trick them into giving up their personal information.
The scam uses a method called “caller ID spoofing,” which means that the caller ID says that the call is from FirstHealth, but when answered, an automated recording from another entity plays and asks for information that FirstHealth would not ask for over the phone, according to Emily Sloan, director of Public Relations for the hospital chain.
Sloan said that in some instances the scammers have made calls posing as FirstHealth in the caller ID and then asked for student loan payment information, which FirstHealth does not deal with. She did not immediately respond when asked how many reports of these scamming attempts the hospital has received, nor when asked how long the issue had been occurring.
“If you receive a phone call like this, hang up immediately, and do not share any personal information over the phone,” Sloan said in a statement. “Because the call did not actually come from FirstHealth, it’s not necessary to call the number back.”
She added that anyone who has provided personal information to these scammers should contact their bank or…
