Health department warns of scam calls

Health department warns of scam calls

Expected to get vaccinated next.

Plus -- a warning tonight from the alabama department of public health.

Scammers - pretending to work there - are calling people asking for personal information.

That's where we begin tonight.

Thanks for joining us -- i'm dan shaffer.

Najahe sherman has the night off.

Waay-31's bridget divers is live outside the hunstville police department with more information on what you should be looking out for.

Bridget?

Dan -- north alabamians are reporting scam calls where the caller says they work for the alabama department of public health.

But then they start asking the recipeint to tell them their personal medical information.

Belinda mccormick/ vice president of the better business bureau of north alabama "consumers are getting calls from someone claiming to be form the alabama department of public health and asking a lot of questions about their medical history, insurance information, personal information that would not be obtained by the alabama department of public health."

Belinda mccormick is the vice-president of the better business bureau of north alabama.

She says there are certain signs people should look out for, so they don't fall victim to scam calls.

Belinda mccormick "they don't identify the person they're calling.

It's very generic, the calls that are being received.

Which is a red flag."

Lieutenant jesse sumlin/ huntsville police department public information officer "if you answer the phone and they start asking for personnel information, you know you wouldn't normally give personal information out over the phone.

And if someone is truly trying to get in contact with you they will ask you to come by."

Now, one number that shows up on caller i-d has a montgomergy area code.

But the number itself cannot be found anywhere on the alabama department of public health's website.

Belinda mccormick "anytime you're asked about personal information, stop.

If it's legitimate you can call them back, they can call you back.

Preferably you call them back at a number you know to be that organization."

If you don't recognize a number though your best option is to not answer the call.

"when you get a call, an unknown number, a number that has an area code that doesn't exist.

Those type of things should be a sign that this might not be a call you should accept."

The huntsville police department says that you shouldn't be giving out your credit card information or social security number unless you know the person you're talking to -- and what business they're from.

Live in huntsville, bridget divers, waay-31 news.

Thanks bridget.

If you have received one of these scam calls and given out your credit card number or other personal