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St Louis, MO – ( February 13, 2018) – The Missouri Poison Center (MPC) has been made aware of a recent poison center calling scam that has affected a number of states. According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC), individuals and healthcare providers from numerous Poison Control Centers across the country have received unsolicited calls from a caller ID badge identified as the National Poison Help Hotline at 1-800-222-1222. These calls are a scam, known as ID spoofing, and should NOT be treated as legitimate contact from the Poison Control Center. While the Missouri Poison Center has not yet received any word of scam calls in its area, it is important to be aware of what to look for.
According to the AAPCC, the scam calls have ranged from silence on one end of the phone, to robo-calls, to aggression, to soliciting money, to asking for personal information. In some instances the caller has identified himself as “Justin” and in some instances has been reported as having a Caribbean-sounding accent. It appears that in many instances the scammer is preying on the elderly—suggesting that they have little time left to live.
The Missouri Poison Center would like to remind people that Poison Control Centers will never ask for personal information such as credit card number, banking information, or social security numbers. Furthermore, it is important to remember that Poison Center will never “cold call” individuals and will only call individuals who have contacted them to follow up on any outstanding medical issues or questions.
Please report any instances of these calls to Poison Control at the National Poison Help Hotline at 1-800-222-1222 with as much detail as possible.
The Missouri Poison center provides a 24-hour emergency hotline service for the entire state of Missouri, educational materials for adults and children, and extensive information on poison prevention.
Missouri Poison Center
7980 Clayton Rd # 200,
St Louis, MO 63117
Release ID: 300547