Official websites use .gov COVID-19 Symptoms & Testing - Department of Health In a typical situation for an infectious disease, the positive case and all of the people they came in close contact with would receive phone calls from public health workers with guidance on monitoring symptoms and staying home to prevent further spreading the disease. During this time of social distancing, Pennsylvanians are spending more time on their phones and computers for home, work, shopping and entertainment. Learn more: bit.ly/3r2Pmd1. Preventing the spread of Why am I receiving a call from the health department? When entering your driver's license number type numbers only, that field only accepts numbers, no spaces or other characters. Cookies used to make website functionality more relevant to you. This important resource encourages people who have COVID-19 to notify their close contactsso that they can quarantine at home and get tested. Phone calls asking people nationwide to switch their health insurance to the "Pennsylvania Department of Health's plan" are a scam, the agency says. . A lock ( LockA locked padlock ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website. PDF General FBI Criminal History Background Check: 1. - Department of Human Legitimate contact tracers will never ask you for any sort of payment or seek other financial information or your Social Security number. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General is alerting the public about fraud schemes related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Do not respond to, or open links in, text messages about COVID-19 from unknown individuals. MDH is not making these calls. Visit our coronavirus hub and follow our live updates page for the most recent information on the COVID-19 pandemic. Health departments and public health professionals have used contact tracing for decades to slow or stop the spread of infectious diseases. We have an answer. Check your local health departments website for information about options in your area to possibly shorten this quarantine period. Department of Health Offers Monthly Update On COVID-19 Investigations What are these fake feds are asking for? Another clear red flag: being asked for your Social Security number. To receive email updates about COVID-19, enter your email address: We take your privacy seriously. Fraudsters are also continuing to offer COVID-19 tests to Medicare beneficiaries in exchange for personal details, including Medicare information. With this in mind, it is still important to get tested if you have symptoms or have possibly been exposed. The Federal Trade Commission, U.S. Department of Justice and Department of Health and Human Services, as well as the Better Business Bureau and state law enforcement groups from across the U.S. have issued consumer alerts about unscrupulous people who are not affiliated with health departments using phone calls, texts or emails to get personal information from those they scam. If the caller is impersonating the Department of Health and Human services, they'd like to hear about it, too: Call that agency's hotline at 1-800-447-8477 or send an email to. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select.Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. "If they are legitimate, you can say, 'Give me your name and phone number' and you can always call them back" after doing some checking. If you have any doubts about the legitimacy of your conversation with a contact tracer, you may hang up and call your local health department. These cookies perform functions like remembering presentation options or choices and, in some cases, delivery of web content that based on self-identified area of interests. All data and statistics are based on publicly available data at the time of publication. Public health has been practicing contact tracing for decades for HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and tuberculosis. Public health experts know that social distancing and isolating people can help prevent the spread of the virus, but these blunt strategies also cause great economic and personal hardships, according to George Washington University. Use these sample messages to share on social media: Stay up to date with health equity efforts in the aftermath of COVID-19! Work with underserved communities so they can access testing, treatment, and . Also, some people dont answer or return phone calls from unknown numbers and may be uncomfortable answering questions. One thing to consider: Did the caller ID indicate the call was from a health department? We follow the percentage of people that were contacts, then converted into being actual cases of the virus. If the caller is impersonating the Department of Health and Human services, theyd like to hear about it, too: Call that agencys hotline at 1-800-447-8477 or send an email to spoof@oig.hhs.gov. If someone calls you up and asks for personal information, dont give it to them, even if the caller ID says HHS Tips or Federal Government, or the call appears to be coming from the 202 area code in Washington, DC. The Pennsylvania Department of State has been made aware of 2020 Certificate of Good Standing Request Forms that are targeting recently registered Pennsylvania businesses from a bogus company calling itself "PA Certificate Services." The form states that the business has "one step left" to attain a "Certificate of Good Standing" through "PA Certificate Services," by paying $87.