The Oregon Department of Justice has issued a scam alert for people who are impersonating contact tracers.
Contact Tracing is the process used to identify people who have had contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19. Contact tracers usually work for the local public health authority or the state’s public health division, and in some parts of Oregon, they may work for a community-based organization. These individuals will normally use the telephone as a means of first contact according to the Oregon Health Authority.
According to an Oregon Department of Justice press release, Contact Tracing is such a new phenomenon that officials fear scammers have already begun to take advantage, and imposters have already begun to send emails and text messages with links to fraudulent websites. Clicking on the link may download software onto a device, giving them access to an array of your personal and financial information.
If you receive an email or a text message you think might be from a scammer posing as a contact tracer, first, do not click on any links. Then, file a complaint online at www.oregonconsumer.gov or call 877-877-9392 and ask that a complaint form be mailed to you.
