Pinellas County Residents Warned About ‘Human Services’ Scam

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — Pinellas County Consumer Protection is warning the public about a phone scam in which callers falsely present themselves as staff of the Pinellas County Human Services Department and ask for personal information.

Residents are encouraged to report any suspected fraud to the Consumer Protection Office at 727-464-6200 or visit www.pinellascounty.org/consumer.

Residents have reported receiving calls from someone claiming to be from “Human Services,” promising large sums of money and requesting their bank account information. The scammer may leave messages with phone numbers for return calls. Some reported callers leaving a return number with a (727) area code and another with a (214) area code. Anyone who receives such a call is advised to not provide personal information and to report the incident immediately.

Pandemic-Related Scams

Scammers are finding other ways as well to take advantage of the pandemic to steal money and personal information from residents. Since more people are staying home, they are more likely to be on computers or answering the phone. 

There are several types of scams residents should watch out for, including:   

• Fake cures, treatments or free COVID-19 tests
• False claims that the Social Security Administration may withhold benefits due to suspicious behavior or coronavirus-related office closures
• Scammers posing as a relative or friend in trouble and in need of money for an emergency like a hospital bill or to leave a foreign country

To report suspected coronavirus-related fraud, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud hotline at 1-866-720-4721 or disaster@leo.gov.

For more information on scams or to report a scam, contact Pinellas County Consumer Protection at 727-464-6200 or visit www.pinellascounty.org/consumer.  

This press release was produced by the Pinellas County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.