APH warns of imposter scams

The city has issued a warning that individuals acting through a “spoofed phone number” and posing as Austin Public Health employees are attempting to scam residents. The scammers appear to be calling from the APH Environmental Health Services main line at 512-978-0300. APH notes that it is working to put a stop to the situation; in the meantime, it reminds Austinites that “APH employees will never ask for Social Security, Medicaid, insurance, immigration, or financial information. There are instances when a member of the Austin Public Health Department will reach out via phone or email, but staff will properly identify themselves and provide contact information for additional questions. Staff will usually verify or confirm information that they already obtained from hospitals or labs instead of initially asking you to tell them that information.” In terms of keeping yourself safe, APH advises residents to ask the name, title and callback information from callers, and verify that information through 311.