July 9, 2020 – Officials at Santa Fe College have heard about a new scam related to the spread of COVID-19. People are receiving calls claiming that they may have been exposed to COVID-19 and they are conducting contact tracing. After giving details on legitimate sources of information to gain trust, the scammer then asks for personal details including date of birth, social security and personal financial information. This is information that would not be required for a legitimate contact tracing search.
Although it is possible that you are contacted by health care professionals as a part of contact tracing if someone you know who has tested positive for COVID-19, there is no need to disclose personal and financial information.
Santa Fe College will work with our community partners on the kinds of questions that would and should be expected during a contact tracing inquiry. In the meantime, you should use extreme caution when receiving calls or emails about your health.