The Department of Health (DH) today (April 20) appealed to members of the public to stay alert to fraudulent phone calls purporting to be made by the DH. The DH recently received a number of public enquiries about receiving phone calls from +852 2836 0077, which is the same number as the DH's Client Relations Division hotline (2836 0077).
The concerned members of the public pointed out that the caller claimed to be a DH staff member and instructed the called party to go to a quarantine centre, or to go to the headquarters of the DH for quarantine.
A spokesman for the DH clarified, "We have not made the calls in question. If DH staff need to contact members of the public through the hotline, we will provide relevant information to verify the identity of both parties, but will not request the public to provide sensitive personal information. The DH has reported the matter to the Police."
The spokesman reminded members of the public that the Centre for Health Protection, through its hotlines (2125 1111/2125 1122), allows members of the public to verify the identity of authorised officers if necessary. The public should stay alert and should not follow the caller's instructions if they receive suspected fraudulent calls. If they have any doubts, they should report the matter to the Police.
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