Health Department Warns of Fake Inspection Calls
The Portsmouth City Health Department is warning residents about a scammer pretending to be from the agency and telling people they’ve been selected for a “yearly inspection.”
The department says the calls are fake.
Portsmouth is not conducting random residential inspections, and anyone who gets one of these calls should hang up without giving the caller personal, financial, or household information.
If you aren’t sure whether a call is legitimate, the Health Department says to contact its office directly at 740-353-5153 rather than trusting the number that showed up on your caller ID.
Government Imposter Scams Are Common
Pretending to be from a government agency is a favorite scam tactic because the name sounds official and people may feel pressured to cooperate.
The Federal Trade Commission says scammers may pose as government workers, use official-sounding language, give fake employee ID numbers, or even spoof caller ID so the call appears to come from a legitimate agency. Consumer FTC
The goal is usually the same: get you to hand over money or information before you have time to stop and think.
A scammer may say there’s a problem that needs to be fixed immediately, threaten consequences if you don’t cooperate, or ask you to “verify” personal details they can later use for identity theft. Consumer FTC
Red Flags to Watch For
Be suspicious if an unexpected caller claiming to be from the government asks for your Social Security number, banking information, credit card numbers, passwords, PINs, or details about who lives in your home.
Also be wary of anyone demanding immediate payment by gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or payment app. The FTC says government agencies do not demand payment that way. Consumer FTC
And don’t trust caller ID just because it looks official. Phone numbers and agency names can be spoofed. Consumer FTC
The safest move is simple: hang up and call the agency yourself using a number you already know is legitimate.
The Portsmouth City Health Department is also asking residents to report suspicious calls to local law enforcement and share the warning so friends, relatives, and neighbors don’t get caught off guard.