Stories from a Contact Tracer

[harllee]

<mod hat on>
Numerous posts were removed that were off topic or uncivil. This is a very difficult topic, so let’s all make an effort to keep a friendly, polite and helpful attitude.

MichaelB, thanks for cleaning up this thread and reopening it.

 

[MichaelB]

MichaelB, thanks for cleaning up this thread and reopening it.

The moderator team did the heavy lifting, I’m just the messenger on this.

 

[MarieIG]

A few days ago, I saw a short piece on a local news station advising that scammers are now calling pretending to be contact tracers.

 

[Calico]

<mod hat on>
Numerous posts were removed that were off topic or uncivil. This is a very difficult topic, so let’s all make an effort to keep a friendly, polite and helpful attitude.

Thank you very much to all the mods.

 

[Midpack]

A few days ago, I saw a short piece on a local news station advising that scammers are now calling pretending to be contact tracers.

Surprise, surprise. Started in May if not earlier https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2020/05/covid-19-contact-tracing-text-message-scams

 

[donheff]

,"

A few days ago, I saw a short piece on a local news station advising that scammers are now calling pretending to be contact tracers.

Surprise, surprise. Started in May if not earlier https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2020/05/covid-19-contact-tracing-text-message-scams

Interesting. I hadn't thought of it but a tracer could not get through to me on my land line. I don't answer it and let legitimate callers leave a voice mail which I get an email recording of. If the message started out with, "Hi, this is Linda, generic blather," I would delete it without getting to the real content. If she quickly got out, "this is Linda with the DC Department of Health COVID Contact Tracing Unit..," I would keep the recording rolling.

 

[harllee]

My friend the contact tracer primarily makes phone calls and leaves voice mail that starts with her immediately identifying herself as from the county health department. She only texts if she cannot get through on a phone call. A tracer would never ask for ss # etc.

I can understand that a call out of the blue would be suspicious and there are some of those when she is tracing contacts. But many of her calls are to people that have already tested positive and so a call would not be a surprise to them. And even some of those people are not returning calls or are refusing to cooperate. I just cannot understand the mind set of someone who went to the trouble of being tested and then tested positive who is not willing to cooperate. Maybe they are in denial?