MORGANTOWN – WVU Medicine announced on Thursday that it has received reports of fraudulent phone calls appearing to come from the WVU Medicine phone number 304-598-4200. It said the bad actors behind these calls are scammers posing as WVU Medicine in hopes of gaining access to Medicare numbers and personal health information.
(Mon Health Medical Center issued a similar announcement on Wednesday regarding its number, 304-598-1200.)
WVU Medicine said it takes patients’ and employees’ privacy and security very seriously. Fraudsters frequently mask their phone numbers to impersonate people calling on behalf of trusted or familiar entities, a practice known as spoofing.
WVUM said no WVUM facility or staff member will ever call patients to request their Medicare numbers or personal health information.
Anyone who receives one of these calls from 304-598-4200 should hang up immediately, WVUM said.
Protective measures
WVUM offered these suggestions for protection against spoofing scams:
- Zip it: If someone asks for sensitive data like a Medicare number, Social Security number, or any personal information, do not say anything – just hang up.
- Check it: After hanging up, call recipients may verify the call’s legitimacy by contacting WVU Medicine J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital’s main number at 304-598-4000.
- Report it: Inform the Federal Trade Commission of any fraudulent calls by visiting FTC.gov/Calls.
- Screen it: There are many services and apps available that can help block or screen out scam calls. Some may be included as part of a phone carrier’s calling plan. The Federal Communications Commission provides a list of these services at FCC.gov/Call-Blocking.
