The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently confirmed that the HHS OIG Hotline telephone number is being used as part of a telephone spoofing scam targeting individuals throughout the country.

Scammers represent themselves as HHS OIG Hotline employees and can alter the appearance of the caller ID to make it seem as if the call is coming from the HHS OIG Hotline: 1-800-HHS-TIPS or 1-800-447-8477).

The perpetrator may use various tactics to obtain or verify the victim’s personal information, which can then be used to steal money from an individual’s bank account or for other fraudulent activity. HHS OIG takes this matter seriously and is actively investigating this matter with intent to have the perpetrators prosecuted.

HHS OIG will not use the HHS OIG Hotline telephone number to make outgoing calls. Individuals should not answer calls from 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477). We encourage the public to remain vigilant, protect their personal information, and guard against providing personal information during calls that received from the HHS OIG Hotline telephone number.

We also remind the public that it is safe to call into the HHS OIG Hotline to report fraud. If you believe you may have been a victim of the telephone spoofing scam, report that information to the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General Hotline 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477) or by emailing spoof@oig.hhs.gov.

Individuals may also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).

If you are interested in learning more about protecting your identity, call Sourcewise and speak with a Community Resource Specialist: (408) 350-3200, option 1.