Fake prescription calls are reaching people in California, and a wrong move on the phone could cost you money or personal details.
Scammers are calling people in California and pretending to be a pharmacy. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the calls claim to be about a prescription. The goal is to rush you into acting before you stop to think.
The calls follow a simple pattern. Someone says there is a problem or an update with your medication. That sounds urgent, and most people want to sort out a health issue fast. Scammers count on that. A fake call like this can lead to stolen money or stolen personal details if you hand them over.
Californians are the ones being targeted, according to the Chronicle. Anyone who uses a pharmacy and gets calls or messages about medications could be hit. Older adults and families are the people most worth warning.
If you never get calls about prescriptions, or you have no pharmacy account, a call like this should stand out right away. If you do use a pharmacy, a real reminder can look a lot like a fake one, so check before you answer questions.
Be wary of any caller who stresses a prescription you did not expect, or who pushes you to act fast. A real pharmacy or doctor's office can be reached on a number you look up yourself, so you never need to rely on the number the caller gives you. The alert box above lists the steps to take.
The material available does not say how many people have been called, how much money has been lost, or which pharmacies are being copied. It also does not say whether the calls reach people outside California. More detail may come as the reporting develops.
If a call about a prescription catches you off guard, hang up and check by calling your pharmacy on a number you found yourself.
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