FTC Warns of Contact Tracer Scam

As states throughout the country are launching hiring sprees to bolster their staffs of contact tracers, a new scam has emerged that threatens to rob struggling Americans of the little cash they have left.

Scammers, posing as official state representatives, have been sending out texts in which they claim to be hiring contact tracers, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Once a potential victim is hooked, the scammer then asks for personal information, such as the person’s date of birth, credit card info and Social Security number, the FTC says. Needless to say, the job never materializes, and the text recipient soon finds he or she has become a victim of identity theft.

The FTC says while some states are sending out text messages to recruit contact tracers, they’ll never ask for personal information like credit card and Social Security numbers.

Source: https://www.news4jax.com/money/2020/05/19/ftc-warns-of-covid-19-contact-tracing-text-message-scams/

Tags: