Officials with the Audubon County Memorial Hospital report the hospital has been notified by several members of the community that they have been contacted by a caller claiming to be from the Audubon County Memorial Hospital.  The caller has a foreign voice and asks for money they claim is owed for a hospital bill.  The caller ID is showing up as Audubon County Memorial Hospital which is something easy to do according to the police.  They are apparently very persistent and hospital officials are concerned that a person might give them credit card or personal information over the phone.  The Audubon Police Department has been made aware of the situation.  The incidents are a classic case of spoofing that is unfortunately all too common these days.

Tips to avoid spoofing scams
You may not be able to tell right away if an incoming call is spoofed. Be extremely careful about responding to any request for personal identifying information.

§  If you answer the phone and the caller – or a recording – asks you to hit a button to stop getting the calls, you should just hang up. Scammers often use this trick to identify potential targets.

§  Do not respond to any questions, especially those that can be answered with “Yes” or “No.”

§  Never give out personal information such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, mother’s maiden names, passwords or other identifying information in response to unexpected calls or if you are at all suspicious.

§  If you get an inquiry from someone who says they represent a company or a government agency, hang up and call the phone number on your account statement, in the phone book, or on the company’s or government agency’s website to verify the authenticity of the request.  You will usually get a written statement in the mail before you get a phone call from a legitimate source, particularly if the caller is asking for a payment.

§  Use caution if you are being pressured for information immediately.