At some point, “mid-afternoon,” the county health department and 2-1-1 service realized that a hacker was intercepting callers and diverting them from the helpline without their knowledge, according to a press release from county.
“Although 2-1-1 continues to work with its telephone partners to investigate this, we do not know which operator was involved or how many calls it affected,” the statement said. “The problem was quickly identified and resolved.”
Some residents told KDKA that when they called, the person on the other end of the line asked for credit card information. Allegheny County has not confirmed the nature of the alleged hacker’s calls, but has directed callers to contact the FBI if they believe their calls have been intercepted.
“A 2-1-1 Resource Navigator will never ask for personal financial information, such as credit card numbers, or ask a person to buy or send a gift card before they can arrange a meeting,” the statement said.
The FBI declined to confirm or deny the existence of an investigation.
CNN also contacted the Allegheny County police for comment.
How to protect yourself from scams
As the Covid-19 vaccine becomes more widely available, fraudsters are inevitably taking advantage of the situation – putting people at risk of having their personal information exposed and money stolen without ever having a chance.
Staying vigilant and informed is the best way to prevent scammers from accessing your money or private information.
If you send suspicious vaccine communications, check with your local health department. Do not share personal information, such as a credit card number or Social Security number, with someone you do not know, unless you have verified your identity with an official source, such as your health department or healthcare provider. And only get the vaccine at authorized vaccination centers.
You can report vaccine scams in these places:
- ReportFraud.ftc.gov from Federal Trade Commissions, which shares information with authorities
- The FBI whistleblower line, at tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI
- HHS Inspector General’s Office at tips.hhs.gov or 1-800-HHS-TIPS
- Better Business Bureau scam tracker