Carilion Clinic shares tips on how to spot ‘spoof calls’

Carilion Clinic is warning people about a rise in “spoof calls” and wants to offer tips on how to spot phone scammers.

Phone scam calls might be hard to spot given that scammers can use illegal spoofing techniques to display fake information in a caller ID.

Here are four common scams to look out for:

1. Someone says they are with a medical practice and asks if you’re having knee or back pain
2. You’re offered braces, blood sugar measuring devices or other medical devices that the scammer claims will be covered by Medicare
3. Someone tells you that they are working with an outsourced company with the Veterans Administration and needs to set up an exam for a patient
4. Someone tells you they have an overdue bill and work for a lab

Carilion said that a real call from them would be one that a patient is already expecting.

Here are seven tips Carilion has shared for dealing with spoof calls:

• Don’t give out personal information
• If someone calls from an unknown number, don’t answer it
• If you find that the caller isn’t who you thought it was, end the call
• If you are asked to hit a button to stop getting the calls after answering the phone, end the call
• Don’t answer any questions, especially if they are closed-ended ones
• Be wary if the call seems suspicious or you’re being pressured to providing information
• Set a password for your voicemail account

Carilion said that people should avoid giving out their personal information and answering calls from unknown numbers.

People can call their provider or the main Carilion number at 800-422-8482 to check if a call was legitimate.

If you believe you were scammed you can file a complaint with the FCC.