When fraudsters rip people off with telephone-based scams, they commonly will “spoof” numbers so that the Caller ID will say whatever they want it to say. Many local residents have been taken advantage of by people impersonating Shasta County Health and Human Services and the Social Security Administration. The goal is to gather personal information that allows them to steal money directly, intercept benefits or get credit in the victim’s name. It’s become so common that Shasta County officials are warning people that anyone who receives a call with a Caller ID that says “County of Shasta” should hang up and call the agency back at their listed number. When in doubt, HHSA can be reached at 229-8400. This phone scam alert follows a warning in may about a door-to-door scam wherein impersonators were asking to see people’s EBT Cards, Drivers Licenses and Social Security Cards.
-Steve Gibson