US Officials announced Tuesday an increase in contact tracing scams during the COVID 19 pandemic. The DOJ, Department of health and human services and the Federal trade commission have teamed up to warn about the scam intended to steal money and sensitive information. The scam often appears in the form of a text message or a phone call that asks for private information like a bank account, credit card or social security card number. Contact tracing has become a common occurrence and is needed for tracing how a person came into contact with the virus and informing others they might be infected and are usually hired by the state department of health. The DOJ warned that scammers will often send fake links in text or emails or call the individual directly and they are advising to ignore any foreign links to avoid any malware giving them access to personal and financial information, Another red flag is whomever is conducting the tracing asks for money. If you have spotted a contact tracing scam or any fraud or scam connected to COVID 19 you can report it online at ftc.gov/complaint, for more information on how to identify scams visit oig.hhs.gov.
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