KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The University of Tennessee Medical Center is warning people about scam callers posing as the hospital's main number.
According to UTMC, people in the community have been receiving calls from the hospital's main medical center phone number -- (865) 305-9000. The scammers have been asking people for money "for an upcoming procedure."
UTMC said those calls were not made by anyone at the hospital. Instead, they said the scammers were able to spoof their number.
"Phone Spoofing occurs when scammers deliberately falsify the information sent to your caller ID to disguise their identity—this can result in you believing you are interacting with a known, trusted source," UTMC said.
UTMC said people with questions should reach out directly to their providers.
The Better Business Bureau said people should do the following to avoid phone imposter scams:
- Stay calm. If you receive any of these impostor calls, resist the urge to act immediately, no matter how dramatic the story is or how threatening or intimidating the caller sounds.
- Don't reply directly. Don’t respond to the call, text, or email. Instead, call the company or person directly to verify the message that was sent or the phone call received.
- Go to the source or get help. When in doubt, call a friend, loved one, or your local BBB to ask for a second opinion. Regardless of what is said in the phone conversation, tell someone.