Placer County Sheriff's Office warning: Scammers attempt fraud through contact tracing

COVID-19 scams have been prevalent since the beginning of the pandemic. The Placer County Sheriff's Office issued a warning to alert the community of a scam utilizing California's COVID-19 contact tracing program. Contact tracing is the process of interviewing individuals who have tested positive for the virus and notifying individuals who have been in close contact with anyone who has tested positive. According to the Sheriff's Office, scammers are calling or texting victims, alleging to be a contact tracer and asking for confidential information. Information they attempt to obtain includes Social Security numbers, credit card information, immigration status or other private information. The health department may send a text message to individuals who have had contact with someone who has tested positive to alert them to expect a call from a certain phone number, the Federal Trade Commission reported. Legitimate text messages from the health department will not include a clickable link. A contact tracer will inquire about symptoms and discuss the quarantine process, according to the Sheriff's Office. Contact tracers may call, text or visit your residence to obtain information but will not ask for money, personal information or for you to download or click links. The United States Justice Department reported scammers may also attempt to offer a job as a contact tracer to obtain money or personal information. Anyone who believes they may have been contacted by a scammer can report it to the Placer County Sheriff's Office or file a complaint at FTC.gov/complaint.